Not So Bad
by KaeJae17
Summary: Editing in Process. A Zutara; love blooms freely after a betrothal process. But life is never easy in the life of a royal, and problems seem to glue themselves to the prince and princess like shadows.
1. Promises of what's to come

Pairing: Zuko/Katara

Rating: T

**!I am currently in the process of editing this story!** I published it a few years ago, and I feel that it needs to be improved. You know, so it sounds less childish. All chapters that have been updated so far will have UPDATED after the chapter title. If it does not, I strongly suggest you do not read it, and wait for me to update it. I am changing some key things. Save your eyes!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, nor am I in contact with any of its creators or those involved in the creation process. ATLA belongs to Nickelodeon. I'm just borrowing the characters for awhile.

**Chapter One: Promises Of What's To Come** UPDATED

"Katara? We just got a hawk message from the captain of Prince Zuko's ship. We should be arriving near them in an hour or so. You should get ready." Katara managed to flash the head maid, Daja, a weak smile, standing up and walking over to her dressing table. Her personal servant, Trinity, appeared by her side, hair brush in hand.

"Hiya Prin-"

Katara shot a glare in her direction, her face radiating irritation.

"I mean Katara!" Trinity giggled nervously and began brushing her mistress' hair. Katara sighed quietly, gazing intently at her reflection.

"I can't believe I actually agreed to marry him..." Katara's face was grim. Not a single glimmer of happiness shone in her normally bright azure eyes. Trinity only smiled, maintaining her cheerful exterior. Katara had said this many times, and her answer was always the same.

"Come on now, like anybody would have listened to you if you disagreed." Trinity cooed, sticking her tongue between her lips as she tried to maneuver Katara's thick hair.

"And I did disagree! I told them right away what I thought of it –"

"Oh, it was pretty obvious what you thought of it, Princess. You demolished the eastern wing." Katara blushed and ducked her head, not wanting to remember her outburst. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to get the whole "princess" thing down.

As if to emphasize her thoughts, she groaned loudly when she glanced at the elaborate bun Trinity had wrestled her hair into. Her hair was curled and twisted around a glittering silver hairpiece, keeping it high on the back of her head. She looked like she was about to attend a ball.

"Trinity, I'm just greeting him! It's not like he's never seen me before; please, can I just look…normal?" She pleaded. Sometimes she found it odd that she begged with her maids: one would think a princess was in charge. But her grandmother had given Daja express orders that Katara was to be whipped into princess shape, and when it came to fashion she was left powerless. Trinity, her good friend, understood her discomfort, and Katara saw her victory on the girl's face before she even spoke her consent.

"Oh alright..."

"Yes!"

"But only the hair!" Katara groaned at this, sighing deeply. "Katara, you're the water tribe Princess! You _cannot_ wear peasant clothes! For training, it's okay, but for greeting your fiancé, it's a big no-no!" Katara nodded and allowed Trinity to help her into a deep sapphire silk dress that had a halter style top and closely hugged her nicely developed form. Trinity giggled, eyeing the princess. "Well, isn't Zuko gonna think you're one tasty piece of eye candy!" Katara blushed scarlet at this, shrieking and beating Trinity with her pillow, the both of them laughing the whole time. The ship suddenly came to a halt, and Katara's gut lurched along with it.

Out on the deck, Zuko had already transferred over to their ship. His face remained reserved as he watched Katara glide out onto the deck, her maids following in her wake. He allowed himself a small smile as he examined his wife-to-be. She looked radiant in her elegant blue dress. When she halted the customary ten feet before him, Zuko straightened and bowed, fist over his heart. Katara smiled, rather dully, and curtsied to him in turn. She looked on him coldly, clearly demonstrating what she thought of the pending match. Zuko had been expecting this, however, and he brushed the disdain off easily.

"Eh-hem." Yolane, the noblewoman of the ship, cleared her throat for attention. Iroh stood at her side, smiling brightly and humming to himself quietly. Zuko sent him a lethal glare and the humming seemed to increase slightly in volume. They had only just had the 'no humming' conversation. Zuko rolled his eyes at his uncle's immaturity. "Since the two of you will be getting married before the end of spring, the retired General Iroh and I have been talking about your relationship." Both Zuko and Katara got an uneasy feeling in the pits of their stomachs, knowing very well that nothing good would've come out of their guardians' discussion.

"Yolane and I have come to the conclusion that the two of you just aren't close enough." Katara suppressed the urge to scream 'well duh!' biting her tongue and forcing herself to listen. "Now this wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that you two need to attend formal events together. Not to mention how you must behave in public. If they think you're faking it, the wedding might not go over so well. That's why you _won't _be faking it." Zuko rolled his eyes and looked away. He knew that he wouldn't be able to make any progress with his princess if she felt like she was being forced. But sometimes it was better to let old people think they were right.

"We want the two of you spending a lot more time together, and getting much more intimate. By the time this wedding comes around, you'll both be saying your vows with bright smiles." Iroh grinned as if in example, and Katara grimaced back. At that point, she believed the only thing that would make her smile on her wedding day was seeing a select few people fall overboard.

"Now, this means that you two shall be staying with each other as often as possible." Yolane's voice was hesitant – it seemed that she hadn't quite agreed to this part. "Zuko, arrangements have already been made so that you can travel with us for a week. You and Katara _will_ be sharing quarters. At the end of it, Katara will start traveling with you, bringing Trinity along with her." Yolane motioned to the young girl in the corner. "I will also be there, but that shouldn't make any difference. The only thing that matters right now is getting you two a bit closer." She paused and studied them closely. A sense of hopelessness washed over her, and she added a passion to her voice, appealing to the both of them. "Sometimes, monarchs need to do things that don't quite please them, for the good of their people. You've been placed in such a situation. Being stubborn and angry about it will only make your life more miserable! The two of you will be spending the rest of your lives together – please, try and accept this!"

Katara bit her lip and clasped her hands together. Yolane was, unfortunately, right. She held back a sigh and glanced at Zuko, whose short black hair was shifting lightly in the ocean breeze. He didn't look angry or hesitant at all; no, Zuko looked thoughtful, and at peace. Surprised, Katara looked forward once more. Was she the only problem?

~*~

The afternoon passed by slowly. Musicians from the Northern Tribe had set up on the deck of Katara's ship, playing pleasant music as the crew and other occupants moved around. Iroh swept up many partners, bringing about a light mood as he laughed and danced. Katara giggled as Iroh tugged her into an old Earth Kingdom folk dance, spinning her about. The sky and the sea spun around her as she laughed and danced, feeling her spirits lift. Soon she was gliding across the deck, into the arms of another partner. She knew who it was before she could turn about to see him. Shoving back her desire to push him away, Katara kept her smile glued to her face and continued dancing. Zuko, it turned out, was talented on the dance floor. They had fun, moving every which way, and by the time Katara finally did step out of his arms, it was for sheer exhaustion, not dislike.

When the sun began to set the ship docked at a market where the couple was warned they would see both Water Tribe and Fire Nation merchants. Knowing their responsibilities, the two stayed close together. Katara allowed Zuko to wrap his arm around her shoulders as they walked along the lantern lit alleys, looking upon wares and striking up conversation. It was surprisingly easy to relax in his strong arms and warm embrace, she found, and as the night wore on she found herself leaning closer.

A few happy merchants offered them free samples, enjoying the sight of the two. They were to always offer a smile and graciously accept, claiming their approval no matter what. It was crucial to make sure people accepted them in the troubled times.

As they spoke to and saw more and more people, Zuko increased the intimacy he offered Katara. She felt warm kisses on the top of her head, and his hand tightening gently on her upper arm as he hugged her closer. Even with her mind set to make an effort with things, it still made her uncomfortable. She hadn't really had that kind of attention from any boy – and she barely knew Zuko! Yet the princess knew what had to be done, and she bit back her discomfort. Feeling brave, she stood on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek after a particularly charming comment he had made, giggling after he touched her nose in response. The faces of the people watching warmed at their affection, and the couple moved on to find their guardians.

"Uncle! Katara and I have what we need, and it's starting to get dark. We should be going." Zuko called as he guided Katara to the pair.

"Yes, I suppose so..." Iroh sighed, looking longingly at the market. He hadn't bought very much at all.

"Of course!" Yolane chirped, clapping her hands together in excitement. "You two need to be ready for the festival later tonight!"

"Festival?" Katara was surprised, and a little apprehensive. She had half enjoyed her 'bonding' time with Zuko so far, but a festival meant that it would continue for many more hours. She could only make so much progress in one night! A little voice in the back of her head pointed out to her that she had many more nights like this ahead.

"That's right." Iroh smiled and went as if to pet her head, but was kept away with a glare from his nephew. "A Fire Nation town is having a festival this evening. According to Trinity, you've been to one before, so you know what they're like. But this is a nighttime event, and don't be surprised if you and Zuko end up having to flirt around quite a bit." Katara bit back a groan, walking with Zuko back onto the ship. They had been flirting all afternoon – what did Iroh expect them to do, strip each other when a big enough crowd gathered around? Just how intimate did people of the Fire Nation get when there were eyes to see?

~*~

"Wow, so you two, like, have to be all snugly and stuff?" Trinity wasn't helping matters much. Katara grimaced at her reflection. She had been swept away almost immediately to get ready – she just knew Trinity would go all out dolling her up. 'For public appearances', of course.

"Yeah. We did a pretty good job in the market, but apparently that wasn't good enough for Iroh or Yolane. They can't expect me to fall in love with him over night, though…" she whispered, half to herself. Sighing, she stood up and moved to the center of the room.

Katara smoothed out the wrinkles on her newest dress, spinning around once slowly. This one was midnight blue and sleeveless, the glittering bodice wrapping around her chest and rising no higher. The skirt belled and swayed out around her, the material sighing as she moved. Being royalty certainly had its perks, even for those who preferred their fighting gear. She was still a girl, after all.

Trinity sighed as she checked over her mistress, once again dazed by her beauty in even the simplest of things. She had convinced Katara to have her hair in the twist she had attempted earlier instead of her usual bun and braid. She looked stunning.

There was an abrupt knock on the door, and Trinity rushed to answer it. Moments later, Zuko walked in wearing a black sleeveless satin vest, trimmed with golden thread. A fiery bird was depicted on the back, its wings out spread and its head titled upward. His pants were made of loose black satin, and he wore plain dark boots that clung all along the lower portion of his leg. Trinity brought her hand up to her mouth, checking for drool, and shot a sly look at her princess, wriggling her eyebrows. "Cute!" She mouthed, before bowing and exiting the room.

"Katara, there is something that I would like to give you." Zuko walked over to her, a small, long black box in his hand. Katara stuttered a bit, surprised. "I thought it would compliment your blue outfits nicely, and it will look good with any red you end up having to wear." He explained as Katara opened the box to reveal a gold and silver necklace with a similar bird design hanging from it. Two separate chords, one silver and the other gold, had been woven tightly together to create the chain, meeting at the head of the silver bird.  
"The symbol…it represents a part of my culture that means a lot to me. It is something that I will tell you more about later, but for now…know that there has always been some good in my nation." His mind drifted slightly, bringing him back to memories of somebody else who had worn such a necklace. He forced the thoughts back, not wanting to upset himself.

"It's beautiful..." She whispered softly, through parched lips. Zuko smiled, placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"I realize that you're partial to your mother's necklace, but this will look nice with formal outfits, and everything, and…" He trailed off, suddenly nervous. Truthfully, he hadn't remembered Katara's mother's necklace until he had handed her the box, and he wasn't sure if she would like the present any more. Katara smiled up at him, dipping into a quick curtsy.

"I love it, and thank you kindly." She smirked, and Zuko smiled in return. Joking was good. "So what kind of bird is it? The same as the one on your shirt?"

"It's a night hawk. The one on my shirt is phoenix. You'll notice the difference if you look at the wings, and that yours is silver, for moonlight. On mine you can see the curved feathers, twisting into different directions like flames. The edges of yours are more precise and rigid, like a hawk. Uh, here, let me help you." He offered as she struggled to put it on. Zuko stepped forward and gently took it from her hands, shifting behind her to clasp it behind her neck. The cool metal rested softly just below Katara's collar bone, and glittered prettily in the candle light. She reached up and set a finger on it, feeling a different weight with its presence: the wait of her approaching marriage.

A knock on the door pulled both benders out of their separate thoughts, and Zuko moved to Katara's side. The princess called in her visitor, offering Daja a smile as she stepped into the room. "The retired General Iroh has sent me to inform you that we have arrived at our destination, and that the two of you are to join him on deck." Katara thanked her, sending her to tell Trinity that she had the rest of the night to herself, and turned to Zuko. He offered her a wry smile and held out his arm, which she obligingly grasped as they left the room. This was going to be a long, long night.

~*~

The festival was exuding an infectious mood when Zuko and Katara arrived. Elegant, fast paced music throbbed with its own energy through the area, guiding a group of dancers in a court in front of the musicians. Numerous lanterns shaded in the colors of the sun hung around branches and booths of merchants, casting a warm glow about the scene. Fire crackers exploded every which way, followed by excited sighs and giggles of the children they were entertaining. A fire artist was entertaining a group of people far from the musicians, bending beautiful shapes of butterflies and dragons into the sky. Young couples could be seen hiding here and there, indulging in the romance of the night. Katara felt herself getting pulled into the energy quickly, her spirits lifting as a warmth settled in her chest. People curtsied as she passed by them with her fiancé, and she felt herself feeling more confident than nervous.

After an hour or so, Iroh came rushing up to the couple, smiling and laughing. "Come now, the two of you should dance! Go, go!" He chuckled, ushering them onto the polished floor. Instantly the dancers parted, allowing the prince and princess to move to the center of the crowd. A new piece started up, and they quickly fell into the steps. Around and around they spun, dipping and switching and spinning again. They danced for nearly two hours, then claiming exhaustion and moving on to explore the merchant stalls.

The fun seemed to end too soon. Katara and Zuko were becoming exhausted, finally giving up and following the adults back to the ship. When Zuko knocked on Katara's bedroom door awhile later, she was a bit surprised. "I have to stay with you tonight..." Zuko practically blurted. He stepped in when Katara stood aside, closing and locking the door since she seemed incapable of it in her little bit of shock. "Katara...? They did warn us about this earlier." He looked away and shifted uncomfortably. He really did not want to make her unhappy – it wouldn't help matters at all.

"Oh! Sorry..." She seemed to mumble it, blushing and looking to the side, Zuko doing the same thing, only the other way.

"Uh, so..."

"So, I guess we should go to bed." As they climbed into the bed, Katara secretly wished she could curl up against his warm body. While it was true that they still didn't know each other very well and she was uncomfortable with the thought of being intimate to someone she barely knew, she felt drawn to Zuko. His body was warm and strong, and he had been very easy to get along with today. Sure, his temper had gotten the best of him with a few people, but never at her.  
The princess sighed and drew herself from her thoughts, looking across the bed to her husband to be. Zuko wore satin pants, with no shirt to hide his well-muscled chest. His hair was messy and clung around his face, and his eyes were closed. Apparently, he slept on his back. Katara bit her lip, moving a centimeter or so closer to him, before she snuggled into her pillow and drew the blankets tighter around her. The night's activities had drained them of their energy, leaving little room for a sense of awkwardness to keep them awake.

There we go, the first chapter of the first story I ever completed, updated and hopefully improved. This was a little tiresome – the second chapter could take me a little while. Please, be patient with me J


	2. Kianna

Hiya! Here it is, chapter two of Silver Sun. Now you get to meet my original character, Kianna. She's in a lot of my fanfictions, mainly because I worked so hard on making her. I'm thinking about pairing her up with Aang, but the only problem is their age difference. I mean, Zuko's four years older than Aang. Kianna is three years older than Zuko. I think a seven year difference might be a bit much, but I don't know. Your opinion would really help!

_Hidden Power_

Katara looked out at the forbidding sunset, eyes wary of the fiery colors. It was so beautiful, yet, at the same time, filled many people with dread and sadness. So many villages had seen their own homes a light with those same colors; so many people had been lost in their fiery grasp. Katara bit her lip, tightly shutting her eyes. She tried desperately to get the scene of her mother being killed out of her head.

"Katara, are you alright?" Katara opened her eyes to see Zuko in front of her, a concerned look on his face.

"Y-yeah... I'm... I'm fine..." Katara looked at the deck, grief clenching painfully at her heart. She was startled when Zuko pulled her close, embracing the princess in a comforting hug. Leaning back, he gently hooked a finger under her chin so she would look at him.

"I know it may be scary, but Katara... I promise you that I won't let this marriage become something you dread. I will never force anything on you, nor will I purposefully put you or your people in trouble. Everything will be okay, so please...please don't cry..." His voice was soft and caring; it seemed to hit Katara with a wave of comfort.

"I wasn't crying." Zuko laughed and kissed her tear soaked cheek, his fingers carressing the other side.

"I believe those are tears on your face, my love..." Katara put her own fingers up to her cheek, but paused, stunned. _What did he just call me! _

_What did I just call her!_

"Wha-What?" Katara sounded breathless, shocked. Yet, surpisingly, she didn't pull away. She didn't want to.

"I-I, it's just... I mean you... and we... I... I don't know..." Zuko was confused, stumbling over the words in his mouth, trying to find the reason he had said that to her. _Maybe Uncle was right... Wait a minute; Hell No! I will NOT let him find out he had been right..._ Zuko was about to make a snide comment, about to ruin it all, but then he saw her face. Katara's eyes weren't disgusted, they actually looked surprised, yet hopeful. The beautiful sapphire orbs shimmered in the bright light of the sunset, her braid and the two strands of hair near her face swung gently in the breeze. And he was still holding her close, still embracing her. _I have no reason to hurt Katara like that. She did nothing wrong. And I am going to treat her well. I refuse to be a nasty husband. Even though I really am one. Still, that is no reason for her to suffer. It's not like she's doing this to be married to me. She's doing her part in saving the world. I want her to trust me, to be comfortable in my presence._ Zuko sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I had more fun with you last night than I've had in years. There was someone in my life awhile ago who always told me that I'd find happiness with someone I'd least expect to find it with. She would swear that I was going to fall in love. For the past two years, I hadn't believed her. But now...now I do. There's something about you, Katara. Something I can't quite place..."

Katara was stunned. Absoulutely stunned. She didn't know how to respond, except something in her had a perfect idea about what to do. Deciding to go with it, Katara threw her arms around Zuko's neck and kissed him, hard. The prince's eyes widdened in shock for a moment, but slowly closed as he returned the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer.

"Ha! I told you so!" Iroh laughed from the doorway that lead out onto the deck. Katara and Zuko had jumped apart at the voice, Katara blushing in total embarrassment. Zuko growled, annoyed and angered with his uncle for ruining the moment.

"Uncle!"

"Cool it, bro." Zuko gasped at the voice, eyes focusing on the figure whom had walked out of the ship. She grinned, walking towards him a few feet then stopping. Her chestnut hair looked like it would be a few inches longer than Katara's. It was tied back behind her head, a clasp made of jade at both the top and end. Instead of wearing it in the normal fire nation way, at the top of her head, the girl kept hers sitting the same way Katara's did.

Her hazel eyes gleamed with mischeif, seeming to taunt the teen in front of her. Her lips were in a teasing smirk, hands on hips. Long legs were shown off by tight black pants, with tall triangles cut out on the sides, revealing a gold colored material that matched her halter top. Zuko frowned when he noticed the oval cut in the shirt just where it would show cleavage, and that the top ended only two or three inches below her ribcage, tight enough to show her muscles and the size of a certain part of the female anatomy. Zuko always hated it when his sister wore, putting it into Zula's words, sexy clothes. He always ended up having to beat dozens of boys senseless for trying to grip at her.

Katara simply stood where she was, surprised about the new appearance. The girl was tall and she had beautiful skin, only slightly darker than the average fire nation tone.

"Well, I guess I DID forget to send you that message that I was dropping by..." Zuko glared at his sister, not amused by the joke.

"Kianna, I'm kind of busy." Kianna pouted, crossing her arms.

"Aww, come on Zuey," she grinned, knowing just how embarrassed the little nickname would make Zuko, "I just wanted to say hi. After all, I haven't seen you in almost four years." Zuko looked down, quite ashamed. He loved Kianna. She had always been there for him and Zula, keeping the mood light and the two of them happy. She had always been against the war, and when they were little, she had brought him to other countries, using her special magic so they could blend in and so he could have fun with the other children. He had met Katara and Sokka that way, even their mother and father. Not to mention that when their mother had "died in her sleep", Kianna was like a mother to him and their little sister. She protected them from Ozai's poisoning ways. But then her power began to grow with her body...

_Kianna sat hugging her knees on her window seat, looking out at the bright moon and glimmering stars. Everything in this nation made her sick. The only thing that kept her here were her two younger siblings. But now, now she wasn't sure that even that could keep her here. She would be no use to them if she was dead. The girl leapt up and threw a pillow in the air, kicking it and sending it flying across the room. She kicked and punched several things, her fury just flowing out through her limbs. On her balcony she fell to her knees, gasping and sobbing. _

_"Damn you, Ozai! I hope you burn in hell, you hear me! I KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO MOM!" She whimpered, spit dripping from her mouth and body shaking with her sobs. "I know what you did to her..."_

_Ozai's little pet, Zhao, had been noticing a lot about Kianna. Had been noticing her disdain and attitude towards the war, and anybody who willingly had anything to do with it. He knew that she was not entirely loyal to her father. But he also knew that she was loyal to the ones she cared about, those being Zuko, Zula, and Iroh. What he didn't know was that she was in fact only half sister to Zuko and Zula, in reality. She was sister to Odette, better known as Signus, goddess of the air. She was niece to the fire god, Agni. She had powers that not many posessed. She could bend not only fire, but also water and air. She could not bend earth, for only the Avatar could master all four. Instead she had magic with plants. But she also had magic with so many other things, and now it was beginning to show. And if she was caught, Ozai would not like it. He would not trust her to use her power to help him. He would have her executed. So she'd have to leave..._

_"Kianna, please," Zuko gripped onto the front of Kianna's shirt, looking up at her with teary eyes. "Please, please don't leave me! I... I can't.. I can'-"_

_"Shhhhhhhh..." Kianna knelt down and pulled him into a hug, stroking the back of his head and kissing the top of it, watching her own crystal tears shimmer in his black hair after. "Zuko, I'd give anything to be able to stay and help you guys, but I can't risk it. I promise, you'll see me again some day. Until then, I'm going to be out there, doing my part in keeping this world safe from our father."_

_"Let me go with you!"_

_"Zuko, you need to look after Zula. And besides, I already have a plan. It won't work if all three of us disappear, though."_

_"What is your plan?"_

_Kianna sighed, pulling Zuko to sit on her lap, back facing her. She set her chin on his shoulder, and hugged him tightly. Should she tell him? She didn't want him to get scared and think it was real when he heard it from someone else... "I'm going to make it look like I drowned in the ocean, over by the docks. I'm always down there, and it is a likely tragedy for someone to fall in and get swept in and away. But believe me, it will not be real. I'm not even going to fly that way. I'm heading over to the air temples. I know where they hid all of the girls before the raid. I'm pretty sure a few men were left with them, just in case." Zuko made a face at this, knowing what the men were left for. "You'll see me again soon... I swear..."_

_"I'm just scared that the next time I see you, it will be at your funeral... in flames, like mom." Kianna shook her head, then took something from her pocket._

_"This is called Agni's chain. He told me to give it to you when I thought it necessary. I think now is that time. It will give you a stronger bond with your own magic, and it will bond you to whom ever you choose to give this to... this time she handed him a delicate looking necklace, the chain made of two chains: one gold one silver, the two braided together with a silver hawk hanging from it. "Star Hawk. It is meant as a gift to the loved one of Agni's closest male descendant: which, right now, is you. Give it to the girl you're in love with, and it will bond the two of you together for all of time. It will help your relationship, and let both of you know when one another is in danger. Like your chain necklace will do for me if you're ever in real danger. It will allow me to send you the power to protect yourself, even if the situation should ressult in death..._

_Kianna kissed his forehead and stood up, leaning against the balcony's railing. Two silver wings appeared on her back, moving slightly in the breeze. Zuko smiled, stroking the golden chain around his neck._

_"Be safe, Kianna. When your wings get tired, use your glider. And when you're about to fall asleep, remember to rest somewhere safe, like in the trees. And-"_

_"Zuko, you sound like mother." Kianna smiled and Zuko closed his mouth with an audible snap. She gave him one last hug before flying off into the distance._

Zuko walked closer to his sister and she smiled, rushing forward and hugging him tightly. "I've missed you so much..." Tears trickled down the teen's face as she embraced the brother that she had left so long ago.

The more reviews i get, the faster i update. Simple as that. Hope you liked it. And I hope you liked Kianna. And i know EVERY1 loved the season finale. DEATH TO ZHAO! Unfortunately, i can't make him dead cough yetcough because he plays a bit of a role in the story. I wonder how Zuko's going to chase the Avatar on a stupid raft?


	3. Fun?

Hiya! Alright, I'm going to ignore the fact that hardly anybody has read my story and I'm gonna keep going. I changed the summary around, so I hope it sounds better. Also, if you have any suggestions on what I can do to improve the plot, please, please, please let me know. I also realize that Zuko and Katara are warming up to each other very quickly, but please realize that right now they only have crushes on each other. Zuko enjoys toying with Katara quite a bit, but it's not going to get so mean that she'll hate him for it... does that even make ne sense? I don't know. I'm not making any sense. Also, the town where the party is held I kinda envisioned to look like the Elven city in Lord Of The Rings. You know, the one where Arwin lives, before she leaves with the rest of her Kin? Just a visiual.

Zuko: Then maybe you should stop acting like an idiot and just start the story.

Kianna: Zuko, come on, be serious. How can she stop acting like an idiot when she is one?

BF: Hey! Kianna, you should be on my side!

Kianna: Srry, couldn't help it!

Zuko: Why are girls do freakin weird!

Sokka: Welcome to my world

Everybody: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN HERE!

Sokka: Geez! Just wanted to make a point.

Zuko: Can we please just get on with the story already?

Kianna: Wow, Zuko. It almost sounds like you're anxious to get back to flirting with Katara...

Zuko: Kianna! Shut it!

Kianna: Don't you tell me to shut it you little brat!

BF: Okay, um, this is gonna get pretty violent, so on with the ficcy! AH! KIANNA! DON'T KILL HIM! HE'S TOO HOT TO DIE!

Kianna: Fine! Then make him do the disclaimer.

Zuko: I was gonna do it ne way!

BF: Well, we're waiting!

Zuko: Alright! blueflame17528 does not own Avatar, or the song that Katara sings in this chapter. Avatar is owned by Nickelodeon. If BF owned it, the show probably wouldn't be allowed on Nickelodeon ne more, with the swearing and the violence and the-

BF: ZUKO!

Zuko: Ne way, the song is owned by whoever made the theme song to the Fruits Basket Anime series.

Fun!

Katara turned to the side, looking at the back of her dress in the mirror. "I was so happy when you smiled, your smile breaks through the clouds of grey..."

Zuko walked into the room dressed in his usual black and gold training outfit. He stopped abruptly at the sight of Katara, and the sound of her voice. It was beautiful... what was she singing?

"Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep. Waiting with patience for the Spring, when the flowers will bloom renewed again; knowing there's far beyond the pain, of today." She looked up and saw Zuko staring at her, and began to blush. "Um, hi, Zuko..." Zuko started, seeming to snap out of a trance.

"Hey... uh, are you, uh... are you ready to go?" He was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes, and it was making Katara uncomfortable. She nodded, still blushing. She never really liked singing in front of people, and the fact that Zuko had heard her was a bit disconcerting.

Zuko offered his arm and Katara complied, allowing him to lead her off of the boat and onto the harbor deck, where their escorting party was waiting for them. The walk would be a rather long one, and nobody was really looking forward to it. They were on their way to what was called the Phoenix Ball. Kianna was hosting it, and it was far from being a Fire Nation event. This event was for people from all nations, and it called for a sense of peace among them. No fighting was allowed, and any Fire Nation soldiers who started something would not only be kicked out, but they would also be fined. This rule applied to everyone, considering the fact that some people liked to start fights with the soldiers.

Katara looked all around them, taking in the sheer beauty of the island. Hundreds of different flowers and plants bloomed all around them, and several brooks and streams were spread all across.

The guards had been told to keep a good distance from the couple. So much so, in fact, that they were basically on different trails. Their formation still protected the prince and princess should anyone dangerous come along, but it also gave them room to talk privately.

Zuko had walked this route several times before, as the island was a popular place to hold big parties. He decided a bit of conversation would greatly help pass the time, knowing it would take over an hour to get to their destination.

"Earlier, in the boat. What was that song you were singing?" He glanced over at his fiance and noted her blush.

"Oh, um... I don't really know the name. My mom used to sing it to me." She looked away, trying to gather herself.

"Really? Wow..." Zuko seemed to space out for a few moments, and Katara quirked an eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just... My mother, she... she used to sing it to me and Kianna and Zula all the time. When she died, Kianna would sing it and other songs mom had taught her. I guess it wouldn't be surprising if Kianna had been the one who knew it first, considering the fact that she was always traveling, but, how would my mother, who's never been out of Fire Nation, know the same song that your mother did?" Katara blinked, thinking. He was right; it was surprising.

"I don't know..." She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Right now he looked far from being the cold hearted prince that she had feared. He had a kind, gentle look on his face. Not only that, but he seemed to be acting more like a teenager. Like he was more relaxed and at ease. Katara knew it made her feel something, but she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Katara? I-" Zuko stopped talking when he noticed that Katara had stopped walking. She was looking off to the side, her eyes glimmering with fascination. Zuko turned around, hearing the familiar roar of water falling on water. They were at what had been named La Lagoon. (Heh heh, the way I use La, it makes it sound Spanish or somethin) The translation would be Moon Lagoon, as La was the name of the moon spirit. Or at least, it had been.

Cliffs seemed to reach to the moon, overgrown with plants and flowers. A beautiful waterfall cut through and fell down through it, landing in the silvery blue water of the lake below. So many beautiful flowers were in bloom along the bank, twinkling with drops of water in the moonlight, that Katara couldn't help but get rooted to the spot. It was absolutely gorgeous. The full moon cast a milky reflection in the sapphire waters, seeming to dance along the ripples on the surface. Several smaller waterfalls at different heights in the cliff cascaded down the rocks and into the beautiful azure pool. Zuko smiled at the look on Katara's face, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders, resisting the urge to kiss the top of her head. He had known that she would love the view.

Katara managed to pull her eyes away from the waterfall long enough to glance up at the prince. She had known what he was going to ask her before. Right now, she didn't feel so bad about doing it.

_I was so happy when you smiled, your smile breaks through the clouds of grey_

_Far from the sunny days that lie, in sleep_

_Waiting with patience for the Spring,_

_When the flowers will bloom renewed again,_

_Knowing there's far beyond the pain, of today_

_Although the scars of yesterday, remain_

_You can go on living as much as your heart, believes_

_You can't be born again, Although you can change._

_Let's stay together always._

Zuko looked down at Katara, a true smile on his face. She truly did have a beautiful voice. "We should get moving, before the soldiers catch up with us. We can come back later." Katara nodded and allowed him to guide them back on the path.

"Know way!"

"Yes, way!"

"Zuko, there is absolutely no way you can talk to fish!" Katara had a bright smile on her face, enjoying her conversation with Zuko.

"If crazy people can talk to birds, why can't I talk to fish?" Zuko had a mock look of defiance on his face, yet he was grinning, laughter in his eyes. It really was fun to talk with Katara like this.

"First of all, what do crazy people have to do with birds?" Katara crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. Zuko had kept one arm around her shoulder, instead of hooking arms with her, allowing the water bender to move them a bit more freely.

"Because they're Cuckoo." Katara cracked up, wiping a tear from her eye. Yup, Zuko was finally acting like a teenager instead of an adult.

"Zuko..." They both laughed.

"No, seriously. I remember this one story Kianna told Zula and me once. She said that a group of girls who all had a huge crush on the same guy would start to resemble the Cuckoo bird. For instance. In leaving presents for them, they would first throw away the present left by the girl before them so their present would get more attention, as a cuckoo pushes another bird's egg from the nest. They're Cuckoo Chicks." (Yes, I got this from Furuba as well)

"Zuko! That sounded a lot like a sexist remark!" Katara, however, was still giggling. It had been pretty funny.

"Kianna told it, and she's even more against the sexist stuff than you are. But it was just so funny! The story went like this:

_The door to the cute guy's locker was opened, and everybody just stared. There was only one present sitting inside._

_"What the hell?" The blonde girl gaped, shaking her head_

_"I thought for sure we'd get to see it..." The girl with the black-green hair murmured. _

_"Um, see what, exactly?"_

_"You know, it's always in the cartoons. You open a locker, and all the stuff comes pouring out."_

_"And so it'd happen here, why?"_

_The first girl ignored him, turning to her friend, who spoke. (please refer to Zuko's explanation of the cuckoo chick, as I am too lazy to repeat that whole thing.) "The evidence is over there, in the trash can."_

_Everybody looked and found that the girl had been right. The trash was over flowing with presents._

_"Dammit! They messed up my locker trick!"_

Katara and Zuko laughed, both looking forward and stopping. "IS THIS IT!" Katara clasped her hand over her mouth, blushing. She had been shocked. It was so AMAZING. Zuko laughed and nodded. (note: Like I said, the town looks like the one Arwin, from Lord Of The Rings, lives in. If you haven't watched it, try looking it up. It's the elf city.)

Katara was looking around with gleaming eyes at the bustling city. The lamps were lit by some kind of mysterious magic, glowing a bright, warm yellow. Many couples were making their way towards what looked like a giant dias, in the center of the city. Katara gulped, a bit nervous by the over all... overwhelmingness of it all. ( I can say it and give a definition, so it's a word. :p)

The dance floor (dias) was huge. Katara couldn't even see the other side of it when they stepped on. And not just because it was loaded with people, either.

The colors and styles of the clothes, along with the many different appearances of the people, really gave away that this was a cultural kind of thing. Katara even noticed quite a few girls wearing the same colors that Aang used to wear. She couldn't help but wonder if they were air nomads... but it wouldn't make sense. Aang was the last one...

"Zuko! Katara!" Kianna came running into view, waving and smiling at the newcomers.

"Hi Kianna!" They both greeted her, talking animatedly.

"Hey, come on, the ball dances are starting!" Kianna excepted a boy's offer to dance, waving her brother and his fiance to join. Zuko looked at Katara, a silent question. She smiled an nodded, grasping his hand and walking out onto the dance floor. The music was vivid and upbeat (Klezmania, by Jacoob De Hann) and Katara couldn't help laughing as they danced around, spinning and having a truly great time. The party, however, was suddenly called short.

"Flood!" Everybody turned to the sound of the voice, screams and confusion echoing in the wake. A giant wave was heading straight towards the city, and, from the look of it, there was nothing to stop it from flooding the entire place.

Okay, I guess that was a pretty bad place to stop, but I can't help it!

I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank all of my reviewers. My first reviewer, darkavatar13, ty! I'm glad it's funny.

SpottedShadow2947: Yea, ty for pointing that out for me, but then do u kno wat Twee means? wait, it's push... now i member.

Zukoscute2: ty! Here's the update. Just to let u guys kno in advance, i wont be able to update during the school days, cuz i not allowed online around that time.


	4. Goddess

Oh! I'm so happy! I now have five reviewers. That's the most reviews I've EVER had! I sososososososososo happy! So, like i said, reviews make me type, and I got reviews, so that means i'm gonna type! Here it is, technically the fourth chapter of Not So Bad! Oh, right! Zuko!

Zuko: grumbles Blueflame17528 does not own ATLA. If she did... I'm scared of what would happen if she did!

Goddess

"KATARA, RUN!" Zuko motioned for her to leave with everyone else, but Katara glared up at him in defiance.

"ZUKO, NO!" They had to shout over all of the screaming. "I'M A WATER BENDER, I HAVE TO HELP!" And with that she followed Kianna and the group of benders to fend off the approaching danger. Zuko growled, quietly or not it wouldn'tve been heard either way. He followed Katara, intent on helping as much as he could, as well. This city was ancient, sacred to all of the nations. Nobody wanted to see it destroyed; even OZAI had demanded that this city was to be left alone... so how did this wave get here all of a sudden?

Kianna waved Katara over and pointed Zuko to where a huge group of firebenders were ready to evapporate as much water as they could. Another group of earth benders were making little rivers and runways to have the water run through, so it wouldn't destroy the city. And guess what the water benders were doing?

Katara took a deep breath, closing her eyes and concentrating on the water. It was a method used to find water close by, and Katara almost cried out with the power the wave was giving off. She grit her teeth slightly, then relaxed, moving into position. Suddenly Katara felt someone grip her shoulder and lean in to whisper in her ear. "Katara, are you wearing the necklace Zuko gave you?" Katara nodded, reconizing Kianna's voice. "Good, come with us!" She turned and ran after Kianna and two other girls, the small group climbing up the giant wall that the earth benders had created. They could tell right away that it wouldn't hold, not against that wave. They could also tell that the wave had been created by a bender...

Kianna grasped her own necklace, looking almost identical(ALMOST, there's a difference) to Katara's, and suddenly she began to glow a dark blue. Her dress was replaced with a black shirt and pants, blue flames sewn into the bottom hems. Her hazel eyes now gleamed sapphire, hair whipping around and then tying itself back. A black pole with a crescent moon/half a sun appered in her hands, glowing as well. Katara noticed that other girls were doing the same thing, but she didn't think it would work for her. Suddenly she felt Kianna's presence, seeming to guide her. This frightened the young waterbender even more, as she could see Kianna a few feet away.

_Sh, calm down, Katara! It's gonna be alright... there, look, you see Zuko? He's holding his chain necklace... now, look at yours... _Katara looked down and gasped. It was glowing! _Just hold onto the pendant and breath, Zuko will help you with the rest... _ And then Kianna's voice was gone, and Katara took the shinnning hawk into her hand. The metal was warm to her touch, and she was instantly enveloped in a bright azure light. A light blue halter top and white pants appeared in place of her dress, her hair pulling back into the way she used to wear it. Katara felt something in her hands. A white pole with a dark blue crescent moon had appeared, and seemed to tug towards the wave. Katara breathed, feeling the power both inside her own body and all around her. In her mind, she felt her spirit push at the wave, sensing Kianna and the other girls doing the same thing. The water benders had been trying to stop the wave, but it was drawing on them. Full moon that night or not, their power was beginning to run low. They wouldn't last much longer. That must've been why Kianna had wanted to switch to goddess form (A/N okay, two things. Zuko reconizes, I spell that wrong, i kno it, Kianna's goddess form, as he's seen it before... this is her water one. And I'm not ripping this off from Kamichama Karin! Kianna can change whenever she wants, and she could use her power for evil if she wanted to) , so that there would be back up if the water benders couldn't hold it.

Zuko looked up at Katara, and couldn't help but worry. This was only her first time in goddess form. What if she got hurt?

Katara heard Kianna and the other girls yelling at the water. (sweatdrop... okay, this just reminds me of Momiji, furuba yelling at the wind) Katara decided to go along with it. Hey, it's worth a shot, right?

STOP! And, it stopped. The wave stopped, and with a motion from the goddesses, it died down, running through the canals that the earth benders had made. It actually looked really pretty. (Think Venice, only there are some streets... so, more like the northern water tribe without snow)

Katara didn't even notice that she had been falling until she was in Zuko's arms, hearing him plead with her to wake up...

You kno, If i was really evil, I'd end the chapter there. But, I'm not... well, I am, but I don't want the chapter to be that short.

"Is she going to be alright?" Zuko asked the second Kianna walked out of his fiance's bedroom.

"Yes, Zuko. She's going to be fine. I'm not really surprised she fainted, but I do feel kinda bad not keeping an eye on her. It was a good thing that you were and had caught her, or..." Zuko glared at Kianna, seriously ready to ring his big sister's neck. That didn't happen very often at all, mind you.

"Can I go see her?" Kianna smiled, crossing her arms.

"She won't wake up for awhile, at least, not fully. She may drift in and out of consciousness (yay for sucky spelling!), and start talking nonsense, but it'll sound like sleep talk, or like she's drunk or something." Zuko glared yet again at the last statement.

"So I can see her, then?" He practically flew(like fast kind of flew) through the door when Kianna nodded. His sister, ever the nosy one, decided to stay in the hall and spy on her little brother. (she can see what he's doing without peeking through the door, ty to her magic power. Is she TOO powerful?)

Zuko walked across the room and sat on the chair next to the bed, stroking Katara's cheek gently. "You scared me..."

It was a whisper, meant only for Katara's sleeping form to hear. (not really, she wasn't supposed to hear it.. Aw wat the hell am I sayin! i confusing myself...) Kianna smirked, leaning against the wall. Awww, he cares about her.

Zuko just sat there, staring at Katara. Most boys would pour out their feelings, blah blah blah, but Zuko wasn't like that... or, at least, he didn't want Katara to drift into conscienceness and hear him. That would be embarrassing...

But Kianna didn't need to hear the words come out of his mouth. She heard everything in her mind. The young goddess slid down the wall, sitting on the floor, eyes closed, clutching her stomach, which was knotting itself over and over again. _Love, worry, panic, sadness, hope, stress, care..._ "Love..." Kianna whispered it, so quietly she could hardly hear it. "He loves her... my baby brother..." She smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. "is in love..." She got up, careful to not make any noise, and walked out onto the deck. Resting against the railing she leaned into the wind, savoring the feel of it through her hair and against her skin (outfit, the same, but not in goddess form ne more. Katara either, yet she still in her dress). "Oh, Odette, he's finally in love!" It wasn't a whisper, but it was quiet. Spoken only for her divine sister to hear.

_So it would seem..._ Kianna smiled and laughed, looking to her side. Odette had appeared next to her, yet only Kianna and those with divine blood (and Zuko) could see her. (A/N Odette looks like the same Odette from Barbie of Swan Lake... I kno it's lame, but I had to watch it when I was babysitting this little girl, and I thought I could make her into a goddess for my story. Yeah, she's called Signus, too. And her dress looks the same, only black and red.)

"Are you worried?" Signus(easier to type) shook her head, also leaning against the railing.

"No, I trust this girl. I believe it will take Zuko a while to admit to her how he feels, but when he does, I think she will accept him. I also think she feels for him herself, but she's still young, and a bit naive..(I couldn't find the special A with two dots, so sue me) it will take some time for her to see that these 'strange' feelings she has for Zuko are in fact love." Kianna nodded, agreeing. Katara may be sixteen, but she was just as oblivious to love as Zuko had been when he was her age.

"We'll have to explain the whole goddess thing to her, you know..." Kianna said, her voice grim. She had never liked explaining to a young girl that they had the powers of a goddess. It usually took hours...

"We? Kianna, neither you nor I are going to be the ones to explain this to her. Yue will be speaking with her." Kianna blinked, then blinked again.

"Yue? But, Odette, Yue..."

"Has been the spirit of the moon for over two years now. I believe she can handle it."

"Well, at least somebody has faith in me." Kianna started, whipping around and seeing the young goddess on her other side. Kianna clutched her heart, gasping.

"Must you sneak up on me!" Both Yue and Signus laughed, attention on the ocean.

"You weren't so startled when I appeared..."

"Yes, well I had been speaking to you and had expected that you would show up."

"Katara is the princess of the nation I once was princess to, only two years ago. She is my responsibility, and I shall be the one to speak about the goddess situation to her. I believe she will take it rather well, actually."

"Well, if you're here expecting to talk to her now, don't hold your breath. Katara probably won't be able to really get a grasp on what you tell her for another few days. It'll be shock enough to see you." Yue nodded, understanding Kianna's words.

She stared sadly at the water, then looked down, forcing herself not to cry. Signus, sensing her despair, walked over to the newbie goddess (heheh, newbie goddess...) and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Her brother... he prays to me, every night... several times, usually. He worries about her... and... last night, he prayed for someone else, too..." Tears were welling up in Yue's eyes, and Kianna and her sister both understood that she was talking about Sokka. Kianna guessed why Yue was upset. So did Signus.

"He...found another... didn't he?" Yue nodded, trying to control herself.

"I should've expected this, I mean... it's not like he can marry the moon, right?" Yue sobbed even harder.

"Oh, Yue..." Kianna hugged the teenager, trying to comfort her. They were now kneeling, both goddesses trying to calm the third. "Don't get to yourself over it... Sokka's just a teenager, afterall. I mean, I bet he still thinks about you every day..." Signus nodded.

"She's right, Yue. I mean, he was only fifteen, and to have someone he loved turn into the moon... Sokka was depressed for a long time, I remember Zuko noticing it and deciding to back off a bit..."

"That's... that's not why I backed off..." Everybody turned at Zuko's voice.

"I backed off because I knew what had happened. I didn't want to make it even worse. Losing somebody like that... I had imagined what I would feel like if it had happened to me... and that's why I backed off. I noticed after that he was really, really depressed. He was hardly talking..."

Yue looked at the teen, nodding. She had sensed Sokka's sadness, and, for some twisted reason, it made her feel better.

"I should stop being selfish... I should be happy that he's found love again..." Everybody else nodded, smiling.

Yes, I'm going to stop it there. The chapter was a decent length, and there's no way I can concentrate with my mom blaring the stupid football game and yelling and cheering and stuff. She said it's the last one of the year, and I pointed out the playoffs and super bowl. So she says it's the last normal game... and she's still talking to it. Like they can actually hear her... Agni, help me!

Zuko: Why do people like that game so much?

Katara: YAY! He's not into football, I'M SAVED!

BF: Heh, my bf isn't into football either... he's into anime and manga and stuff... I'm so lucky!

Katara: yea, me too! WOOHOO!

Zuko: smile good, I made her happy... uh, exactly wat did I do, again?

Katara: Oh! I'll say it for you blueflame, cuz i happy! Please review! Reviews are wat gives BF the energy to write, which means when she gets reviews, u guys get updates! WOO!

Zuko: Wow, u really are happy! tackled

BF: O great, they makin out again...


	5. Getting Close

Hmmm... Ya kno, it took me a really long time to think up what to do for this chapter... I still kinda thinkin

Zuko: Shouldn't you decide before you start?

BF: Nope

Zuko: ...

BF: Okay, let's let Aang do the disclaimer this time!

Aang: HIYA!

Zuko: Where the heck did HE come from!

BF: Up ur &#$

Zuko: grumble disclaimer's my job...

Aang: blueflame17528 doesn't own ATLA, but I bet it'd be a whole lotta fun if she did!

BF: Awwwwwwwwww...ty Aang

Zuko: Kiss up

BF: glomps Zuko on head

Aang: Uh, isn't it supposed to start after the disclaimer?

WHOA BABY! (heheh, i quotin DJ from Full House)

Katara opened her heavy eyelids to see Zuko changing the cloth on her forehead. "Hnh?" She put her hand to her head, attempting to sit up.

"Oh no you don't..." Zuko spoke gently, lightly pushing her back down. "You're gonna make yourself even dizzier. Just relax." Katara nodded, then groaned when it felt like her brain was bouncing around in her skull.

"Is the town safe?..." Zuko nodded, smiling slightly. Figures that's the first thing she worries about.

"You guys destroyed the wave. Now the town is loaded with canals, too. And the water glows a bit, even though it's comming from the lagoon, and the lagoon water doesn't glow. We don't know what really happened, but we're not really concerned about it right now. I mean, you're not even the only person who fainted. There were even people who were only bending that passed out. Not to mention the people who just fainted from fright..." Zuko snickered at the last part and Katara giggled weakly, coughing after. Zuko frowned, feeling her forehead.

"Hey, is Katara awake?" Zuko looked at the door at Kianna's voice, but when he looked back at Katara, she was sleeping again. A thought of her looking like a little angel popped into Zuko's head, and he smiled.

Just as Kianna had said, Katara continued to drift in and out of reality for the next two days. The one thing that never changed, every time she woke up, was that Zuko was always at her side. The time she finally woke up, fully aware, he was sleeping on the bed, legs dangling off as if he had fallen asleep sitting on the edge of the bed.

Before she realized what she was doing, Katara gently stroked the Prince's scalp, sighing in content. Zuko groaned in his sleep, turning and facing Katara. She smiled, leaning on her elbow and resting her head on her hand. When he was sleeping he just looked so... harmless... (OMG! I just realized that I never told you guys... Zuko doesn't have his scar ne more. I kno, a little late, but, hey... at least i told u. I just thought he'd look so much hotter without the scar, but I also think he'd look better with his hair the way it is. Having it grow back would take away the looks)

Heheh. Zuko. Harmless. Heheh. Katara thought, shaking her head. But, it wasn't really that funny to her. She frowned slightly. Maybe he really is pretty harmless... Katara closed her eyes, remembering the past few weeks (aside from the days she was unconcious). He hadn't yelled at her or lost his temper to the point that it scared her, not even once. She smiled, kissing his forehead. He really was very kind to her...

Zuko opened his eyes, staring up at the brunnette. She blushed, embarrassed at getting caught.

"You're awake!" The comment came from both of them at the same time. Zuko chuckled and Katara giggled, trying to draw her hand from his head unnoticed. Of course it didn't work. I wouldn't mention it if it did. Zuko caught the retreating hand, kissing the knuckles before running his thumb over them, smiling up at Katara warmly. _Oh my Lanta..._ (I've decided Katara shall ACT a bit like DJ, too) Katara felt the heat on her cheeks, knowing perfectly well that her blush must've been obvious. A look flashed in Zuko's eyes, and he seemed to gain the bravery he needed. He leaned up and kissed her forehead, trailing down to nuzzle at her neck. Okay, if it gets any hotter in here, I'll conbust! (has your crush ever done something that just made you feel like the room was over 100 degrees?) For a moment Katara wondered if she'd said it out loud.

"Mmm... you smell like flowers..." Katara blushed even more. Was that even possible? Zuko then started to whisper in her ear, lips practically pressed against it. Well, apparently it is! "I was really, really worried about you..."

Man, this really is fun. Zuko thought to himself as he noted Katara's massive blush. But part of him knew that he wasn't just playing around. Zuko enjoyed seeing her blush, true... it was just so kawaii! But he also enjoyed being close to her. Slowly, so as not to frighten her, he began to move closer. Katara noticed, and she too began to lean in...

"Zuko, are you still in there?" Zuko growled at Iroh's voice, using a great deal of self control to keep the flames from engulfing his fists.

"I'll be right back..." Zuko stood and walked to the door.

"Um, actually..." He paused and looked at Katara, raising an eyebrow. "I, uh... I still gotta take a bath and get ready and stuff... Can you just wait for me at breakfast?" Zuko's eyes softened and he nodded, turning on his heel and heading off to scream at his uncle with the perfect sense of timing. Two things rang through his mind. I'M GONNA KILL HIM! and So cloooooooooooooooooooooooose...

Katara looked down at her food, a blush, like always, staining her cheeks. Zuko STILL was ready to kill his uncle. Kianna just sat there, enjoying every minute of it. She didn't want Katara to be TOO uncomfortable, but she did have to get used to Iroh a little bit. And this was just the classic Iroh.

"Katara, Yolane tells me that you know how to play the flute?" Kianna decided to change the subject afterall.

"Wha? Oh! Yes... I do, but... not very well..." Katara smiled a little, pushing her food around on the plate. She didn't notice the look of disapproval for playing with her food that she was getting from Yolane. Even if she had, Katara probably wouldn'tve cared. She was still getting over how heated that morning had been. (to Katara, that's heated. And, poor thing, when I'm done with her... well...)

"It's okay. It's really hard to learn. I play a little, myself." (This is true for me, as well. And I kno they probably didn't have the silver flutes back then, but they didn't have radios either. It's my fic, and I write it this way.) Kianna smiled at her future sister in law, understanding the girl's fragile nerves. She could tell that Zuko was moving a bit fast for her, but she also knew that it was a good thing. Better that then hardly know each other at the wedding, right?

"You do? Where did you learn?" Katara was officially interested in the conversation. Even Yolane was curious as to how a Fire Nation Princess knew how to play a Water Tribe instrument.

"There was this island with people from every nation. A few women were playing the flute, and they offered me lessons. It sounded so beautiful, I just couldn't pass it up. I've always loved music." Kianna was smiling brightly, and Katara couldn't help but notice just how beautiful the princess was. Zuko's parents must've both been lookers, because they both had good ones.

"Hey, I have several of my flutes with me, would you like to play a few songs with me after?" Kianna asked, knowing that two flutes together sounded way better than one. Katara nodded, happy to be on familiar ground, so to speak.

Katara looked at the music Kianna had chosen them to play. It looked simple enough. The older teen counted off and they began to play, catching the attention of any and everybody that could hear them. Iroh and Yolane both smiled, proud of the girls. Zuko smiled as well, though a small one. They really did sound rather good.

After several songs Katara decided to go explore the island they were on. She was about to argue with Yolane on taking guards with her when Zuko stepped in.

"Actually, I could go with you, if you'd like?" He offered, resting a hand on Katara's shoulder. Remembering that morning, Katara blushed a little, yet still nodded.

"Well then you won't need as many guards..." Yolane offered, yet not as steadily. She was not about to refuse Zuko any thing. She was rather frightened by the prince.

"Right. She won't need any. I believe I am capable of protecting my fiance." Zuko didn't wait for an answer; he led Katara off the ship and onto the path that had been built along the beach and through the forest.

Katara was enjoying her conversation with Zuko as much as she had on the way to the party. He was kind and spirited, joking and listening. Yet, for Zuko, talking wasn't enough. He had been growing more and more attracted to the young water princess, and he wanted some action (rolls eyes boys). When the conversation was growing a bit more quiet, he decided it would be the perfect time to...

"Oh! Zuko look, another lagoon!" Zuko smiled as she ran forward, slipping off her sandals and dipping her toes in the water. Katara closed her eyes, a huge smile on her face. The water was cool and refreshing.

"Yeah, I remember this one. I don't know the name, but Kianna took me here before to swim in the summer." Katara nodded and put her shoes back on, walking over to a huge root that was sticking up from the ground and taking a seat. Zuko, of course, went and sat next to her. They sat there for several minutes, listening to nature and the roar of the waterfall, the gurgle of the brook. (A: I have no idea y they can here both at the same time. B: i like water falls) Zuko felt his heart tightening quite a bit, knowing very well that he was falling in love. And dammit he was going to do something about it before he bursted. (as in he can't wait)

"Katara..." It was a whisper, quiet and gentle. Katara turned, but before she could say 'yes?' his lips were pressed against hers. Katara's eyes widened as she felt his mouth moving against her own, his hand cradling her neck, the other arm wrapping around her waist. She closed her eyes and gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was... breathtaking...

Zuko pulled her closer, breaking the kiss for but a moment to get a breath, crashing his lips back against hers almost instantly. Katara responded more willingly this time, kissing him back just as hard. Zuko bit back a growl (not a mean one, mind you), not wanting to scare her. Instead, he just pressed even closer. _I don't want to take it too far... it might scare her... _Zuko kept the thought in mind. He was determined to keep her trust. Going too far would crack it a bit; it would frighten her. He seemed so much more experienced than her at this, but this was new even to him. The first time he had kissed Katara had been his first kiss ever. He wanted her to be his first everything (hint hint).

The world was lost to them. The roar of the water fall couldn't be heard, just their own heartbeats. Even that was just a tiny little strum...

Zuko finally pulled back in desperate need of air. Katara was gasping for breath has well, her eyes half lidded. Zuko look at her, a small piece of hair resting against the curve of her face, eyes half closed, deep breathing filling his ears. The boy gulped, feeling a certain type of pressure build in his lower region. She looked just as breath taking as the kiss had been, and he wanted more... but would it really be wise to try and do more? She was so young, so... new at this. But wasn't he just as much? Sure, he knew more about what should happen, more or less, but that didn't change his lack of experience. And she would always be nervous their first time, no matter how long they waited. So why, why was he feeling like this? Why did he care so much that she was comfortable?

Katara noticed a look of hunger in Zuko's eyes and she felt her heart rate pick up several beats. That look... it was exciting her. Katara realised what kind of excitement she was feeling, but she felt uncertain. If she tried something with him this early, he might think of her as a (I'm sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to type it, not in Katara's thoughts. It starts with an 's', ends wit a 't'.

But she wanted more, and he had started it. Maybe even just a make out? She finally came to terms with it. Katara was no chicken, and she refused to act like one. She leaned in, capturing his lips again. Zuko was shocked. To say the least. But that didn't mean he wasn't happy.

This kiss was more than passionate: it was hungry, needy. Zuko couldn't help himself, and he pulled Katara onto his lap, straddling him. Katara felt herself heat up a bit at the movement, but she liked it. She also noted that something was pressing against her... a part of her knew exactly what it was, too.

Katara moaned into the kiss, and Zuko felt like he could cry from the sexual frustration. Of course he wasn't going to, but still. He gently nipped at Katara's bottom lip, taking advantage of her startled gasp to plunge his tongue into her mouth. Katara moaned again, letting her tongue dance with his. Zuko became more daring, cupping her by the butt and pulling her closer, bucking up a bit, relishing in Katara's pleased noises...

(Now do you get y I named this chapter the way I did? Of course, I can't write out the part I really wanted to cries because of stupid rules. So, I'll have u guys vote, if u please. Lemon, or no lemon? I can't post on AFF, srry, I don't really like goin to that site much... u can vote for a lime... and what i have so far isn't against the rules cause u could see this in an R rated movie! So there! All votes will be taken into consideration for the next chapter, which will be posted on either Friday or Saturday. Lemon, Lime, or nothing. TY!)

Zuko: groan UR SERIOUSLY GONNA END IT THERE!

BF: If it THAT bad Zuko, just take care of it urself...

Zuko: shrug ok...

BF: IN THE BATHROOM, IDIOT! NOT HERE!

Zuko: FINE! goes running to bathroom.

Katara: Hey, where'd Zuko go?

BF: shows Katara last part of chapter he's in the bathroom, taking care of, uh, a little problem. Or, shall I say, a HARD problem? laugh

Katara: evil grin oooooOoooOOooooO... runs to the bathroom to help if the problem's THAT hard, he might need some help...

BF: O,O... ok... is it just me or did those two start getting along really, really quickly?


	6. Dream

I... I'm just gonna skip straight to the story... sorry guys, but u'll have to wait for the citrus. I just can't write it right now...

Zuko watched with content as Katara stretched the fatigue of sleep out of her limbs, breathing in the fresh ocean air out on the balcony.

"It's such a beautiful morning..." It was a soft, gentle murmur, but she knew Zuko could hear it. Absolutely all of his attention was foccused on her. She smiled warmly, leaning against the steel railing and letting the breeze whip through her loose hair. Living on the ocean seemed like the perfect life to her, and a lot of the time she couldn't really understand why Zuko didn't like it. She was slightly aware of the sound of him moving around in the room, walking out onto the balcony with her.

"I think you're prettier than any sky or morning..." He whispered in her ear, gently stroking her silky chestnut hair. She really was gorgeous. Katara smiled and leaned back against his body, allowing Zuko's arms to snake around her waist while his chin rested on her shoulder. Together they looked at the rising sun, just enjoying one another's company.

Katara smiled a bit more, remembering when the slightest touch from Zuko would make her blush darker than a rose. Now she felt like, well... there was really only one word to describe the way that she now felt for Zuko.

Love.

She knew that it was quick, but... if they were truly meant to be, then... why wouldn't it have been? Zuko looked at Katara, his eyes showing so many emotions. She had this effect on him... it was like every time he saw her, it felt like he was being healed. And that night... well... she was just so... perfect. Like an angel. Zuko kissed Katara's cheek, smiling. His chibi tenchi.

Katara watched the white clouds roll across the lavender sky, her eyes wide with awe. The sea was a stunning sapphire; it was calm, peaceful. The boat hardly rocked, as there were hardly any waves. Everything just seemed so calm.

As for how long they stood there like that, there really was no way to tell. At one point in time Zuko had shifted so that he was leaning his back against the wall, still holding Katara close and placing the occasional soft kiss on the top of her head. Slowly, the sounds of morning rose to their ears. Soldiers awoke and got to their chores, their talk much lighter than it was in the afternoon. Nobody was really a morning person on the ship. Not when you got rocked to sleep the previous night in the boat, like a baby in a cradle...

Katara sighed and turned to face Zuko, knowing that this moment of piece wasn't going to last much longer. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips, nuzzling against his neck with what almost sounded like a purr. Of course, that just wouldn't be like Katara...

Zuko stroked her back languidly, not wanting to leave her side. He never wanted Katara out of his arms again. This wasn't very realistic, but he could still dream. Dream of being with Katara for the rest of his life.

And then it hit him. He already _would _be spending the rest of his life with her. They were going to get married. Zuko felt his heart soar, squeezing Katara extra tight. She giggled as he kissed her several times, smiling and laughing and picking her up. Katara giggled and squirmed when he spun her around, suddenly holding her bridal-style and walking back into their room. He was just so happy...

That was when it came. The first sign of... IT. Katara started coughing, so Zuko gently set her down on the bed.

"Sorry, Katara. I didn't mean to spin you THAT much." He grinned placing a soft kiss on her lips. Katara giggled.

"No, I don't think it wa-" She was interrupted by another series of coughs, these ones more violent, shaking her body and making her wince from the pain in her chest. Zuko wasn't smiling anymore.

"Is everything alright! Are you feeling okay!" Zuko was trying, he was trying really hard, but he was failing. Zuko was panicking. Katara was now sneezing, on her eigth one straight. This looked a bit worse than a cold. That much he knew for sure. Katara's eyes were bloodshot and watering slightly while she tried to catch her breath. It wasn't really that easy for her to get any air in her lungs at that moment, and she was getting scared. Her throat was dry and sore, and every breath she took seemed to evoke another three or four coughs from her.

"I'm going to go get Kianna..." Zuko hugged Katara, instructing her to lie down. Katara nodded, the volume of her coughs growing.

Kianna was worried the second she saw Zuko racing towards her, panic and concern written all over his face. Kianna stood up immediately. "What is it?"

"It's Katara. She just got into a fit of coughs and sneezes, and I know it's not a cold, and" Kianna held up a hand, silencing her brother. She raced to her room, grabbing a few things, then ran up to go check Katara.

Zuko followed his sister in close pursuit, forcing himself not to become impatient when she had stopped in her room.

Katara looked up at Kianna weakly, and Zuko paled at the sight of the young waterbender. Her once tanned skin was now a pasty white, and when he placed a hand on her forehead he noticed that she was clamy, cold sweat pouring down her head and back. Kianna motioned for Zuko to give her some space, putting some kind of magic gel on her hands before resting them on Katara's bare stomach. She mouthed a few words in an ancient language, and her hands and arms began to glow, as well as a great deal of the area around Katara's stomach. Zuko knew that it was most likely healing, but he was still worried. What was going on!

Katara groaned, her head turning so that she was facing Zuko. He saw the pain and fear in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to make it all go away. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, smoothing damp bangs away from her forehead. "Shhh, it'll be okay, Katara. Everything's going to be okay."

Hours later Zuko was trying to settle down in his training room, but it wasn't working at all. His worry for Katara was consuming all other thoughts. He stood up quickly when Kianna entered the room, but he had to keep himself from shouting at the look on his sister's face.

"Zuko..."

He didn't want to hear it. He wanted her to shut up and go away...

"Zuko, Katara, she..." tears welled up in Kianna's eyes, spilling down her cheeks. "Little brother I'm so sorry..." She choked.

Zuko fell to his knees, sobbing. "Katara... Ka...tar...a..." He threw his head back and let the flames egulf his body, anger and sadness running hot through his veins. "**KATARA!**"

Zuko shot up in bed, panting, sweating. He then realized two things. One, he was naked. And two... there was another naked person cuddling up to him. Looking over, he sighed with relief when he saw Katara snuggling against him, trying to get Zuko to lay back down. Zuko smiled and complied, wrapping his arms around the naked girl... Wait a second. It was like a click could be heard in Zuko's mind. _Naked _girl. Naked Katara. Mischeif began to dance in Zuko's eyes as he looked down at the sleeping form, remembering what had happened between them. He wanted round two...

For now, his nightmare was pressed into the back of his mind. All that mattered at that moment was Katara and the bed, and the cute little whines and whimpers and moans that he had heard her make only hours ago.

"Oh Katara..." He whispered in her ear, licking at it like a cat. Katara's eyes popped open, a shy smile spreading on her lips. She turned her head to allow Zuko to kiss her, shivering happily when his hands began to massage between her legs. Apparently it didn't take Zuko long to recover from an orgasm.

I kno, i kno... very short chapter. Ne who, I didn't put a single A/N in there. I so proud of myself! Also, i realize that this was supposed to be the nummy lemon part, but, like i said, u'll have ta wait. Probably till next chapter. I guess I'm not really in the mood right now. Man, Zuko sure did have a nice way to wake up from a bad dream. Actually, I'm gonna post one of my other fics that I had written a few months again. It shall be titled "Hold". That one has a lemon in it, so, if it helps, try reading that one. I personally think I totally suck at writing lemons. Seriously. And if I DO end up writing a lemon for this story in itself, it will be posted as a different story. That way, if it gets deleted, this story is still up and I can just add on a different chapter. Worse comes to worse I'll just put the lemon up on I am officially at the point where I can go in many directions with the story. Besides killing Zhao (darkavatar13 ), what do you think should happen? A fight? Another person, like Haru? Pregnancy? I promise the wedding will be soon. Actually, really soon... most likely. I just need them to get married! Wife or husband just sounds so much better than fiance, dont'cha think? O, and about the gloomy opening, I was really, really depressed when I started this chapter. But I'm better now. TY again to all of my wonderful reviewers! U all make me so very happy. I have more reviews for this story than I all of the reviews for every other fic I've written totalled up. Isn't that sad?


	7. Big Day

I'm gonna have so much fun wit this chapter! Especially since I have resources, after listening to my mom plan her wedding and stuff... even though it was canceled, but o well!

Zuko: Are you high?

Katara: Zuko, be nice

BF: Yeah, Zuko, be nice!

Zuko: You know you haven't done a disclaimer for about two chapters?

BF: CRUD! Do a disclaimer, then!

Zuko: When you're done explaining everything!

blueflame: sighs fine. This is the long awaited wedding chapter. Basically, almost the entire chapter shall be based on the wedding and reception. If I get to tired, it will just be continued in the next chapter. Most of you probably have realised that I'm big on detail most of the time, so... if this starts to sound boring, please point out why and in which part, so I can fix it? Katara is nervous, scared, and excited all at once. And poor Zuko isn't even allowed to see her. Yay for torturing Zuko! (It's always fun to torture these kinds of guys, huh?) And as for the smell of the three candles together. I had this shampoo by Herbal Essences, and those were the three plant things that it listed on the front of the bottle. It's a green bottle, if you happen to come across it. It just smelled so nice!

I have this whole boring part on instruments on here. I don't know why I do, so please, don't ask. Besides, it makes the chapter longer. All of the instruments in here look exactly like the ones in current production, and the Sonki horn, which i kno i spelled wrong, looks and sounds like it did when Iroh was playing it in episode 13, when Zuko was comming back from saving Aang. I'm sorry if some of my info is off. If you notice something, please point it out to me and I'll see what I can do on fixing it. I really want to be as accurate as possible. I like learning, when it doesn't involve school.

Zuko: Heheh... blueflame17528 doesn't own ATLA, or any other shows that she refers to in this show. The only thing that she owns is this plot, her twisted ways of thinking, and her insanity. ... Are the last two ones the same?

Katara walked with Kianna along the aisle way, checking out how the decorations looked so far. The young water princess was stunned, and thrilled. Her wedding was looking really, really good right now.

A very light shade of blue ribbon was tied in bows at the ends of the aisles, a white lily placed in each center. The wedding was outside, with the golden rays of the first sunlight that morning casting a gorgeous shade of light over the whole scene. A large fountain was off several yards away, and Katara noticed a beautiful white piano sitting in between two of the many collumns that were set up around the wedding area, forming a kind of court. Vines twisted up around each collumn, red roses budding all along the stems. Silvery, silk-like material had been hung between each set of two collumns, waving elegantly in the breeze.

Katara couldn't have asked for anything more. Growing up in the South Pole, she had always thought that her wedding would be some simple ceremony out in the snow. This... this was FAR beyond what she had ever imagined. And Kianna kept saying it really wasn't such a big deal.

"Katara, come along! We still need to check over the reception area!" Kianna called, already on her way to the gorgeous marble building ahead.

"Comming!" Katara hurried after her future sister-in-law, anxious to see what the second part of her wedding would look like. Yet again, Katara was left to gape.

"Is it really that beautiful to you?" Kianna laughed, her eyes shimmering. She had been the one to set the color scheme, and a lot of the other designs, for the wedding. So, of course, she was very happy to see that the bride to be loved her work.

Kianna really had done a nice job. The building was shaped like an **L**, only the upper, verticle part was much thicker than the stem comming off of it. That stem actually was open to the court outside, apparently showing that the reception was both indoors and outdoors at the same time. Katara loved how the room was opened through the archways... it just gave it such an elegant touch. She gently ran her fingers along the carved collumn, feeling the bumps and cool stone. Outside was beautiful enough, too.

The floors looked to be porcelin, freshly polished so that it gleamed in the sunlight. A golden harp was set next to a piano on a raised stage, with several other instruments that Katara tried naming. She reconized the flute, clarinet, tamborine, and hand drum. The other items were unknown to her. Kianna guided her over and picked one of them up. It looked like a horn...

"This, is a trumpet. Actually, I have a certain disdain for them. I have no idea why, considering how, when played well, they sound rather good. I guess it's because they almost always have loads of parts in music, while the flutes end up having rests that are up to 12 or more measures long." Katara smiled, nodding in agreement. Kianna set it down and picked up another horn-like instrument. "This is the Sonki horn. Actually, Zuko plays this really, really, really well. Better than I play the flute." Kianna laughed, a glowing smile on her face.

Zuko plays an instrument? It surprised Katara, but she shook the thought from her head, pointing to a longer, hooked instrument with keys. "What's this one called?"

"Oh, that's the saxophone. My little brother can play that really well, too. Actually, Zula can play the clarinet, too. The three of us used to play songs together, Zuko on sax, Zula on clarinet, and me with my horrible flute playing. The three sound really good together, considering that they're the three most common wood-wind instruments." Katara was a little surprised at the last statement. Only one of the three instruments was made of wood, and that was the clarinet. The other two had metal in them, the flute entirely made of metal.

"That's weird, my GranGran always told me that the flute was a Brass instrument." Kianna blinked, then began laughing.

"Oh, wow. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, laughing like that. It's just that, I know people think 'woodwind' isn't the best name for something made of metal, but I've never heard of them as being reffered to as Brass Instruments. That's... that's funny..." She continued laughing, wiping a tear from an eye and moving on. Katara grinned, enjoying Kianna's company.

"Girls! Come, you need to make decisions on last-minute preparations!" Yolane called from the archways in the building. Kianna grinned wolfishly, eyes flashing with mischeif.

"Kianna, please, be nice. Yolane's very... high matinence. She freaks out about the slightest thing going wrong, and her screams could seriously kill an ear drum, no matter how small or quiet she tries to be. Her voice is trill enough as it is." Katara warned, holding a gentle hand up in front of Kianna. The older girl smiled more kindly, nodding.

"You really are wise beyond your years Katara. I am truly proud to call you my sister in law, and I know that Zuko is even more proud to call you his wife. Now, as soon as we get this wedding moving, we'll actually be able to call you those things! Let's go see to those last-minute preparations, shall we?" She grinned, strolling towards the archs. Katara smiled, shaking her head then following the lively fire princess.

The inside part of the reception looked to be just as grand as the outside. Katara admired the glistening marble floors, along with the beautiful invory drapes that hung over the full length windows. The material was thin and shimmery, letting the sun streak through it and making it dance along the floor as the curtain billowed in the breeze. Ivory table clothes were set delicately over many, many round tables, currently with nothing set on them. At the head of the room was a longer, rectangular table, with blue triangles cutting through the ivory at each corner. This table also had nothing set.

Countless workers were bustling around, fixing the table cloths, re-polishing the spots they missed on the floor, running over designs with others, and some just plain losing their minds.

One lady hurried over to Katara and Kianna, a clipboard in her hands. "I beg your pardon, your highnesses, but there is nothing here for what you would like for the table center pieces. Could you chose one from the examples?" Katara's brightened up even more, and she looked at Kianna with a grin as they nodded and followed the woman.

"It's not like you to miss something like that..." Katara had a feeling that Kianna had purposely left some blank spots, so as to give Katara the oppurtunity to chose a few things in the wedding. Normally it was considered unfit for a Princess bride to plan her wedding, and it was left to whichever princess would become her sister. Kianna knew that it would really make Katara happy if she got to pick out a few things, so she had set out the main stuff and waited for Katara to fill in the blanks.

Katara eyed the table of examples carefully, realising just how hard it would be to choose. Kianna pointed to several of the pieces, then explained, "You actually might want to choose what color and scent of candle you'd like, first. That way they can put your choice in these pieces that would hold a candle, and you can see the true effect." Kianna looked over her shoulder at the man who had been waiting for them to finish, a nervous look on his face. "Hey, calm down. We're not gonna bite you," Kianna smiled now facing the man. Katara did the same, a gentle look on her face.

"Sorry... I, I just needed for you to pick the candles, like you just mentioned. We have all of our colors and scents over here, if m'lady would please come with me to choose?" Katara nodded, following the man with Kianna right behind them.

Katara knew that this wouldn't be as hard. She actually chose quite quickly. The light blue ones with the silver design up the sides for indoors, and the deep scarlet ones with the same designs, only in gold, for the outside. The man then took out a few candles for each color, looking at the labels on the bottom before setting them on the counter in front of the princesses.

"Each of these are different scents," He explained, laying the labels with each scent before their matching candle. "You can choose to have the same scent for both colors, different ones, or up to two scents for each color. Unless, of course, you find that another combination of more than two scents smells good..." The man was loosening up, noticing that the ladies were kind and gentle. He wasn't about to get his head bitten off.

Katara smelled each individual candle, furrowing her brow a bit in concentration. "Do you think you could light the lavendar, rosemary, and orange flower, please?" Katara asked, wondering. The servant nodded, but Kianna cut him off.

"Please, allow me. I really haven't done much fire bending recently." She smiled, then breathed deeply, snapping her fingers. Instantly three of the blue candles were lit, along with three of the red ones. She used her air bending to circulate the smell faster, and her eyes widened a bit in pleasant surprise. It smelled really, really nice.

"Yeah, I like these ones. Um, how about we do lavendar and rosemary inside, and rosemary and orange flower outside. The scents are likely to mingle together after awhile." The servant nodded, smiling. The girl had good taste for a water bender. He brought the packages out to be set with her choices, grabbing a few for her examples for the center pieces.

Katara waited until her candle choices had been set in the pieces requiring them. There were eight different pieces, but two of each, so that Katara would be able to see how it looked for both red and blue. The first set was rather pretty. The candle was set in a hurricane lamp with white flowers around the base with the blue candle, and more cream-colored flowers around the red one. It was nice and simple, but Katara didn't believe it would do the rest of the set justice. Moving on was a piece that she really adored. The blue candle was set up on an intricate sort of silver stand that was placed on a round mirror. Also on the mirror were smaller tea-light candles in the same shade of blue, set in silver containers. A few petals from the same kind of flower as the first example were scattered around it, as well as small treats in wrappers, such as chocolate covered strawberries and candy. The red candle was similar, only the silver stands were gold, and the flowers matched the same as the ones for the last red candle. The servant explained that they had many, many different treats to place on them. The effect of the lighted candles was beautiful, but the most beautiful was the red and gold set.

Once the candles were ignited, the light seemed to make the flower petals glow, and the golden light danced and reflected in the mirror everything was set on. Katara knew how wonderful it would look in the dark, but the indoor color scheme was blue and white, and those colors for this set didn't look as nice. She decided that, since most of the reception would actually take place when it was dark out, she would have this set up for the outdoors, but would choose a different one for inside. Kianna smiled, greatly approving of Katara's choice.

After looking through the rest of the designs, Katara became weary of how many things she still had left to do, and that she would run out of time. She decided to go with the first set she had been shown for the inside set up. Next she was hurried over to a display of dining ware. This only took about five minutes, her choice being whisked away to get placed in it's spot. She told the musicians several songs which should be played, picked out the napkins, and countless other things. By the time she was heading back to the small palace, it was almost noon.

The palace they were staying in for the time being was grand yet subtile at the same time. Katara had been pleased to find out that they would not be living in the Fire Lord's palace, rather than their own on an island some ways away from the capitol city. She was told that their home would look much like the one they were currently in, only much, much bigger.

Back in her suite, Katara was shooed up onto the raised square over in front of the three way mirror, her maids rushing off to get her dress. All of the final arrangements would be made right then and there. Katara looked up when she heard a knock on the door, smiling as Kianna and Zula walked in with Yue and Odette materializing beside them the second they were inside.

Yue looked to be in much better spirit, smiling brightly as she talked with her four friends. Katara was honored to have the two goddesses here on her wedding day, and relieved to see that Yue was happier than what Kianna had said she'd been like almost a month ago.

"We're here to help you get ready for the wedding, so your finickey little maids don't give themselves heart attacks." Zula stated, helping the other girls to take the dress from said maids' hands and ordering them to go find something else to do.

"We know how to sew and stuff, so there's no need to worry. And now we can talk while we get you ready, and you won't be bored out of your mind." Kianna grinned and helped Katara into the white, glittering gown; holding it so the other three could do it up.

The four girls were dressed plainly, in outfits all very similar to the one Katara used to wear when traveling, only, the colors were different. Each girl had a thread and needle in their hands, making adjustments where neccessary. Kianna worked on bringing in the waist and chest of the dress so that it hugged Katara closely, yet not uncomfortably. Odette was adding blue silk to the train, letting it ruffle out elegantly and working so that the white hung over the edges of it loosely; a breeze would blow the bits of white back a bit and reveal the rest of the blue piece. Zula was working on sewing in the remainder of the glitter designs, and Yue was finishing up the hem.

Katara looked in the mirror and gulped, bitting her lip as she felt her heart constrict. She was in her wedding dress. She was going to get married. The thoughts poured into her mind and she breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart.

Each one of her friends noticed it, too. "Hey, relax, Katara." Zula smiled and reached up, resting a comforting hand on Katara's shoulder. "Just breathe, you'll be fine. We know this must be scary, but... think about the good things, too."

"Zula's right, Katara" Yue agreed, nodding and looking up from her work. "I mean, I was terrified of my wedding since the day it was decided that I would be married. You have a growing relationship with Zuko, and you're getting feelings for him. I can see that one day you're going to be believing this the best choice in your life."

"It's not marrying Zuko that I'm worried about," Katara explained, smiling slightly then taking a few ragged breaths, still trying to keep the tears from falling. What was going on? Why was she so terrified? "I... I'm already in love with him. I can't wait to be called his wife, really, I swear. It's just the wedding in and out of itself. I mean, I'm getting _married. _To the man I love, yes. So... so why am I so terrified?"

"Everybody is terrified before they get married. If you're not, then the relationship may need some questioning. After all, if it's perfect, then, chances are, it won't last long. I can see this marriage lasting a long, long, long time." Everybody turned at the new voice, and Katara let the tears fall, only, now... they were happy ones.

"GranGran..." She choked out, smiling and crying and feeling she might burst with emotional over load. Having finished with the dress, the other four girls put away their materials as the old lady came in to join them; she, too was dressed in a plainer outfit so as to help get some work done before the wedding.

"You look beautiful, Katara." Kana whispered, her own tears forming as she hugged her grandaughter.

"Thank you..." Katara murmured, ecstatic. How did she get here?

After about half an hour, all of the girls were sitting and talking, Katara's dress hanging up and ready to be put back on. Another knock on the door brought a hault to their conversation, and Zula got up to answer it. Opening the door about two inches, she peaked out, scowling playfully at the boy standing outside.

"What do you want?" She asked, grinning.

"To talk to my sister!" It was a defiant demand, and Katara reconised the voice almost instantly. Sokka.

"Fine. But if you're going to visit with her, we'll have to get her dressed and ready first, or we won't have time later. Wait out here for a second." Sokka would have said something, but he door was closed in his face. Ten or fifteen minutes later, it was opened and Katara's five guests stepped out, needing to go and get their own dresses on.

"We'll be back in about twenty five minutes. No stealing her away while we're gone, because we will hunt you down and you will not like the kind of target practice we'll use you for." Kianna threatened in a joking tone. GranGran smiled. After hearing them talk for awhile, Kana had come to find that having Zula and Kianna as grandaughters wouldn't be a bad thing at all. She liked their spunk.

Sokka scowled and walked into the room, the door closing behind him. He stopped abruptly when he looked up, gaping at his little sister.

Her hair had been curled and then set up in a bun, several of the springy locks of hair hanging around the piece holding them up, and one wavy piece of hair curving along the side of her face. Pearl-ended bobby pins were set to show the contrast to her dark chestnut hair. The dress was a shimmering white, with designs sewn in with glitter along the upper layer. The top was a V-neck that stopped right before where clevage would start to show. Silky, ruffled material was used for her sleeves, which didn't sit on her shoulders but instead hugged the part of her arms right below them, covering about five or six inches of her upper arms. A silver ribbon lined her waist line and along the dip between the skin on her chest and the fabric.

"Sokka, you came... how?" Katara was stunned. Both her grandmother and brother were here, and she hadn't expected anybody from her village. And now Sokka was just standing there, and she was beginning to get nervous.

"Katara, you look... amazing..." Sokka shook his head in disbelief. His baby sister was getting married. It was just too much to really fathom. He walked over and hugged her tightly, closing his eyes and whispering. "I'm so proud of you..."

Katara blinked, and began to cry once again. "I didn't think you guys were comming, it was just so far away from home... and now you're here, and GranGran..."

"And Dad and Grandpa." Katara's head shot up at this and she stared at Sokka, disbelief written across her face.

"Dad? Grandpa? But, how? How do you guys all get here?" Katara wanted an answer, and she wanted one now. Sokka motioned to the chairs and they sat down, Sokka sighing and leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees."

"Your future husband, that's how. He sent his ship down to the South Pole. The captain, Lieutenant Gi, I believe, talked to us and gave us a letter from Zuko. Zuko had said that the wedding was in almost two weeks, and anybody who would like to come was more than welcome to, and that they would be given a ride on this ship. There were special notes for me, Dad, Pakku, and GranGran. He said that he knew it would mean a lot to you if you got to see your family here, and if our dad was the one to walk you down the aisle."

Katara sat there, smiling and wiping away the continuous stream of joyful tears that were running down her cheeks. "He had said that his ship was off somewhere when I had asked before, but when I asked exactly where he had just smiled and said that it was a secret. A surprise." Katara laughed a little, feeling a wave of warmth in her heart at the thought of her fiance.

Sokka grinned and stood up, hugging his sister again. "It's almost time for your friends to come back, and I don't really feel like listening to a bunch of girls chat about what ever girly things you guys... well, chat about. So, I'll see you later. Good luck, Katara." Katara smiled as she watched Sokka leave, and she put a hand to her heart, feeling it flutter with nerves and excitment, love and hope. There was nothing to worry about. She was in good hands.

Man, I just realized that I could end the entire story right there. But, that would be kinda evil. So, instead, I'm going to end it in another few chapters and I promise to make a sequel on their life as a married couple. Okay, so now a few things to mention that I couldn't say in the middle of the story cuz i didn't wanna ruin the mood.

A.) Yes, I do realize that there was no interaction between Sokka and Yue, and that I had said that most people wouldn't be able to see the goddesses. Well, if I explained everything it'd probably make ur head hurt or just get u very confused, because I'm just a very confusing person and I just had a whole lot of caffiene, so... yeah... But I didn't want to take up a whole lotta space in this chapter to go through Yue and Sokka's emmotional roller coaster. But, I am gonna work on it eventually. I think it would make a very emotional chapter. However, one of my reviewers said they liked how this was a light story, so I'm gonna try and keep the angst down a bit.

B.) So I didn't put the wedding in this chapter after all. It will definately be in the next one though, I promise.

C.) Okay, for those of you who wanted a juicy lemon for the story. I made one, but it is posted as a different story than this one. It's called 'Here It Is'. You could always just find it in my user lookup. This story is where I'll put all of my lemons, and I'll try and notify you when I post one. But if it looks like there's a lemon scene missing in here, you'll most likely find it there. Does that make ne sense?

D.) I have another lemon story too; a oneshot. Title is 'Hold'. TY Spleef for the boost of confidence, as I didn't really think that the lemons I wrote were that good. O, I heard that there r places i can go for tips on how to write a good lemon, if ne one kno's of a few, could you please let me kno? The tips could inspire some citrus. Please let it be subtle, though... I don't wanna go to some hentai site...

C.) Wow, I actually wrote a pretty long chapter, considering how short mine usually are. And I don't think it's even just the A/N's, either... is it?


	8. The Honeymoon

I've decided to skip the wedding itself, and go straight to the honeymoon. I'm sorry, I just so impatient... These are going to be a collection of moments throughout Zuko+Katara's honeymoon, where Zuko finds it just too dammed hard to control his hormones. If I were to make this a lemon chapter, there would be, like, six or seven lemons, and I'm not gonna do that. I'm not in a fruity mood today, srry.

-- : it's ur own fault

: Bad mr. computer face!

--?

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah... I don't own ATLA... DON'T RUB IT IN, DAMN YOU!

Katara fiddled nervously with her satin night robe, trying to calm her breath. It wasn't as if she'd never slept in the same bed as Zuko before. Heck, she'd even SLEPT with him on the ground by a lake. And not the close your eyes and dream kind of sleep, either. So what was she so worried about now?

"Hey, you commin to bed?" Zuko called in a gentle voice, already sitting on the edge of said bed. Katara turned around and blushed, seeing Zuko with silk pajama pants on, no t-shirt, and leaning back on the bed, looking at her with hungry eyes.

Zuko wanted her. And Katara knew it, too.

"Uh, yeah, um... I just gotta go get cleaned up." She murmured, hurrying into the bathroom. Zuko sighed and fell back onto the bed, running a hand roughly down his face. He could tell she was nervous, he just didn't understand why.

Katara took as much time as possible in the bathroom, hoping that Zuko would be asleep when she got out. Unluckily for her, it only took the girl fifteen minutes at her slowest, and when she was out, Zuko was awake. And entertaining himself with thoughts of Katara in a bikini and other skimpy outfits. Or, better yet, nothing on at all.

Katara walked slowly over to the bed, slipping into the covers and closing her eyes tightly. Zuko frowned and left for the bathroom to take a shower.

A few minutes later he was back out, a towel wrapped around his waist tightly as he climbed onto the bed, stalking towards Katara like a predator hunting it's prey. Feeling the weight shift in the bed, Katara peaked an eye open and gasped. Zuko looked like a cat, crawling over to her. She gulped, feeling a familiar pulsing in between her legs.

Zuko stopped right above her, weight resting on one hand while the other stroked her cheek. From this angle Katara got a nice view of Zuko's damp skin; droplets of water trickled down his well sculpted abs, all the way down to his...

Katara closed her eyes and felt his hand up her shirt, making her shiver with pleasure as he pulled at a nipple.

drool Zuko in a towel...drool

holds up an axe Look mommy! I ruined the moment!

Katara groaned and snuggled closer to Zuko, burrying her face against his chest and curling her legs around his waist. Stupid sun ruined everything. Her bending, her sleep. What else did it want!

"Heheh, come on Katara... it's time to wake up..." Zuko whispered gently, kissing her on the forehead. Of course, instead of getting up himself, he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, pulling her closer and resting his chin on the top of her head.

Katara smiled, sighing happily. Yes, it was time to get up. And yes, they should get up. It was just that, right now, the bed and each other just seemed SO much more appealing, it would be impossible to say no to more rest! Just like when you try to say no to a little child who's giving you the puppy dog eyes. It's impossible.

Zuko was, however, now wide awake. He was just looking around the room, taking it in from every angle. This wasn't the first time he had stayed at this particular palace, but it was the first time he had ever stayed in this room. From the looks of it, the room had been specially designed for a couple of newlyweds. And Zuko planned to take full advantage of the room's... additions...

Sighing heavily, the young prince climbed out of bed, slipping on his black robe and strolling into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Katara blinked. Laying in a huge bed, all alone, wasn't as much fun. She whined, kicking her legs a bit, and pulling a pillow over her head. She didn't want to wake up yet... but... she was caked in sweat, and it smelled really, really bad.

Zuko walked out of the bathroom, now totally dressed, and laughed, seeing Katara throwing her little hissy-fit in the bed.

"Don't tell me there's someone else in there with you..." Zuko ran over and side jumped onto the bed, kind of like what you do when you're about to high-jump. He pulled the pillow off of Katara's head, playfully whacking it back at the top, simply to mess up her hair.

"Heyy!" Katara protested, reaching for her 'sunlight-shield'. "Gimme! Give it back! Ah! Hey! Zuko! Give! It! Back!" Katara was now jumping around on the bed with him, grasping for the pillow but always missing it as Zuko tugged it out of reach. She didn't even notice her state of dress. Or, rather, undress.

So, of course, Zuko was REALLY enjoying the show.

Katara fell back onto the bed, sitting up and crossing her arms with a childish "Humpf!" Zuko snickered and fell to his knees, tossing the pillow off of the bed and pulling Katara into his arms.

"Mmm... Tara?"

"?"

"It's perfectly fine with me if you want to stay this way for the rest of the day, but... otherwise, you might want to get dressed..."

Katara looked down and paled, the fact taking a minute to register. And when it did, she screamed. And she screamed loud.

"Pervert!" She cried, rushing into the bathroom.

"What did I do!" Zuko laughed, clutching his stomach. If Katara was anything, it definately wasn't boring.

"You could've told me sooner..." Katara's voice was muffled through the oak door, and Zuko chuckled, walking right into the room.

"But then I wouldn't get to see you jump up and down on the bed butt naked..." Zuko reasoned, grinning.

"OUT!" Katara threw a towel at the door and Zuko dodged it, deciding to do exactly the opposite. He stepped all the way inside. "Zuko! Come on, I gotta take a sho-- why are you locking the door!" She squeaked, stepping back and wincing when Zuko pressed her against the freezing tile of the bathroom wall.

"I'm locking it, Katara, so that we can take a shower without any interruptions."

"YOU ALREADY TOOK A SHOWER!"

Zuko stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "But I've took one _with you _before. Pllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaseeeeeeeee?"

Katara groaned, which was quickly changed to a moan when Zuko began sucking at her neck. "F-fine... just... just, n-no sex. Not right now, we d-don't have time..." Zuko looked up and smiled, kissing Katara heatedly.

"Katara, it's our honeymoon. We have PLENTY of time."

"But, but breakfast!" She protested, a shiver creeping up her spine when he pressed against her.

"I'm about to have mine, right now." Katara "EEP!" 'd and was quickly silenced as Zuko started the make out session, groping the juvenille girl.

xxxxx&$#!$#!$$#!$&!$xxxxx

Breakfast had been... interesting. And now Katara was VERY weirded out about what Zuko planned to do to pass the time away until lunch. And when he finally got an idea, Katara knew that his drink must've been spiked, or something. He sure as hell was acting drunk.

"Zuko, I am NOT going to spend the next few days entirely naked."

"whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

"Because you'll ravish me every time you see me, that's why!"

"... duh, that's WHY I want you to spend our honeymoon naked. Less hassle." Zuko grinned, looking his wife up and down for the millionth time that minute.

XDO,O . -- : ) : p

Well... that's it. Yeah, i know, i know. So, that is y this is labled honeymoon, "DAY ONE" it's a four day honeymoon...


	9. Capital

If the mood of this switches part way through the story, it's probably because I don't plan to write all of this in one sitting. This MUST be a long chapter! I shall force myself to make it one! The sooner i get through it, the sooner i can kill off Zhao! AND somebody else! OOOOOH! I don't know if ne body is interested, but I can try this. How about, the first person to guess who dies, besides Zhao and Ozai, will get... something, but i not sure wat quite yet... Oh, yeah, and I skipped the rest of their honeymoon. Srry, but I didn't FEEL like writing it... had to move on. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect example of how I have the attention span of a squirrel!

And on another note: From the first chapter, I said that Katara had been allowed to heal Zuko's scar... well, forget about that one. I changed my mind. I don't know how it was healed, but Katara didn't do it. She's going to find out about it in this chapter, though. Oh, and suddenly Trinity is back! I know I kind of abandoned the thought of her after the first chapter, but she's back! I talk too much. And this chapter goes really fast. Because I'm impatient.

Kianna watched as Katara scanned the ocean for any sight of land; specifically the Fire Nation's capital's harbor. The mage laughed and walked over to her sister in law, shaking her head playfully. "Yes, Katara, it's comming. The dreaded capital." Kianna joked, nudging Katara gently. The younger girl laughed at her own foolishness, looking away from the horizon.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful..." She murmured, hoping Kianna hadn't taken offence from her dread of the approaching shoreline.

"Heh, no worries. You're not being any more disrespectful than I always am to this place and the people who run it. I hate my father, and with a burning passion, too. This war... I hate it so much... and him for continuing it. I wish we didn't have to come here, personally. I don't want Zuko near that bastard,... but... it must be done. I just hope the Lord Of The Idiots knows that I won't let my baby brother get hurt. Not ever, ever again." Kianna seemed distant as she gazed across the sparkling ocean.

"What do you mean by... again?" Katara looked at her sister in law, puzzled.

Kianna sighed and closed her eyes, leaning into the wind. She truly looked beautiful, with the sun's golden light shimmering in her chestnut brown hair, the wind making it dance behind her. "Never, ever again..." She whispered quietly, shaking her head. "Do you know why Zuko had that scar? Why he wanted so badly to capture the Avatar... why he was living on a ship? It's not that he wanted to be out here. No, Zuko wanted to be at home. But... sometimes, things happen. Sometimes, people make mistakes that can cost them something they couldn't imagine being without. For Zuko, it was his home... his honor...

"It was when he was fourteen. I wasn't there... I was out leading a group of freedom fighters, now known as the Phoenix Gang.

Zuko was attending a battle meeting... basically a place where the top leaders of the war gathered and, under my father's supervision, discussed war strategies. Zuko disaggreed with one of them, and spoke out against it... well... maybe it would be better if you saw... saw for yourself."

Kianna opened her eyes and turned to Katara, placing a hand on her forehead. A sudden flash of white errupted before Katara's eyes and she closed them, feeling her body fall and spin. Finally, she felt her feet hit solid ground, and she opened her eyes only to find herself in the Fire Nation palace, watching Zuko enter the meeting.

Katara watched with concern as Zuko spoke out against the General, yet mentally agreed with what he said. Suddenly the scene shifted, and Zuko was standing on a stage, turning... facing his opponent.

Horror raced through Katara's body, and hot streams of tears flowed down her cheeks as she saw Zuko on his knees... _crying_..._ begging _for forgiveness. The girl cried out at the same time he did, watching and screaming as the blast of fire hit Zuko square in the face. Everything around her went dark... she heard voices...

_"Shhhh_..._ calm down, Zuko_... _Shhh_..._ it's okay, the healer is here_... _calm down_..._" _She heard the voice and reconized it as Iroh's... she also figured out that the uncontrollable, pained sobs that she heard were comming from the fourteen year old Zuko...

She winced when she heard him cry out when the aloe was applied to the still burning wound, making it sting even more.

End Katara's BackFlash Movie

Katara blinked when she was once again at Kianna's side, standing at the bow of the ship, the Fire Nation capital very close now. Tears were still running from her eyes, and Kianna looked at her with a gentle expression.

"Imagine how I felt when I heard about this... that I had left, but I could've been there... I could've stopped it..." Katara wiped her eyes, nodding. Kianna felt a lot of guilt, and was prepared to defend Zuko with her life. Katara understood that as much as someone could be expected to.

With a wave of her hand, Kianna brought the tears from Katara's eyes, making the girl look as if she hadn't been crying. Just in time, too, as Zuko walked out onto the ship, wrapping his arms around Katara's waist and kissing her neck lovingly.

"You look beautiful..." He whispered in her ear, adoring Katara's black and sapphire gown. Katara smiled and turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.

"Thank you... and you look pretty good yourself, Zuko..." Katara nuzzled against his chest, sighing. At least he was here now... safe, and hers.

Katara felt as if she were walking in a grave yard. What would be considered normal, and even expected, noises from a major harbor were not heard at this port. Katara gulped and tightened her grip on Zuko's arm, gazing among the crowded town warily. Everybody was dressed in red and black, and everybody looked, for the most part, orderly and... blank. It was as if they were the living dead.

Zuko sensed Katara's uneasiness and kissed the top of her head gently, wanting to calm her. He himself had never liked how cold this town had always seemed. Even every one of the children were behaved; none were playing, only following their parents and not saying a word. One child, about three years old at the most, The abnormalty of that was enough to make Katara wonder if all of these people were zombies.

Kianna shook her head and quickened her pace, not wanting to stick around too long. This place always sent shivers racing up and down her spine, and she could only imagine how awful it was for Katara.

"Let's hurry up. The palace is still a good way's off and if we stick around too long we'll get caught by the venders and be late." Kianna knew that her statement wasn't entirely accurate, and she also knew that Zuko would probably catch it. But it didn't matter. Even being in the palace was better than watching their people go on with their lives just for the purpose of living; showing no emotions and only doing what they had to do to survive. It was scary.

"Are you feeling alright?" Zuko asked, worried, when Katara seemed to sway a bit. She nodded and forced a small smile, trying to get the sense of dizziness out of her head. "Okay, well... if you're not feeling well, just let me know, okay?" Katara nodded again, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder and closing her eyes.

After almost two hours, the party arrived at the palace. Katara didn't bother look around; she was afraid of the effect it might have on her. Instead she just kept looking ahead, her stride matching surprisingly easily with her husband's.

The second the three walked in the door, a group of maids and servants rushed up to help them with their shoes and belongings. Zuko rolled his eyes, annoyed. They were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, afterall. Katara tried to keep her balance, then noticed Trinity walk in along with Bella, Kianna's servant. Katara blinked, surprised to see the two. Why were they there, again?

The girls simply walked to their mistresses and followed them through the rooms, not saying a word. Almost like the children from the town. Katara was a bit unnerved by Trinity's sudden ability to bite her tongue and act properly. Trinity could _never _keep her thoughts to herself, let alone stay quiet.

The group entered the throne room, Katara simply following Zuko, not letting go of his arm. She wasn't going to let go of him at all in this palace, not on her life, not in a million, billion-

Zuko was called over to his father. Katara had to let go. She let her arms drop from his and she quickly went to Kianna's side, feeling slightly alone without him.

Zuko bowed down respectfully to his father, down on one knee and keeping his gaze on the floor. Katara didn't like seeing Zuko like that. Seeing him bow down to anyone made her feel strange. Everything in this nation made her feel strange... it was all so different.

Kianna touched Katara's hand gently and Katara looked up, seeing Kianna smile at her reassuringly. Katara smiled back a little, looking forward once again and taking a deep breath to steady herself. Everything would be okay. Then she heard HIS voice.

"Well, Zuko, welcome home." Katara shivered at the voice. It was deep, gravelly... hollow. She hated it.

"It is good to be home, father." Kianna nodded slightly, approving of Zuko's calm and unpertubed tone.

"I trust that you had a pleasant journey?" Kianna was disgusted. Her father acted as if he'd never banished and scared Zuko. As if what he'd done was perfectly normal and easily forgiven. Like he'd done nothing horrible. And Zuko was forced to accept it.

"Yes."

"And what of your new wife? Are you going to introduce me to my new daughter in law?"

_Oh great. _Katara felt her stomach rattle against her ribcage. The devil reincarnate wanted to meet her. Wonderful. And the way he said it... there was a sort of dark amusement in his voice. Kianna had noticed it as well. Their father was going to toy with the Water Princess. Wasn't this just the perfect way to start the prince and princess' lives together.

Zuko paused, but looked over in Katara's direction, standing up and holding out a hand. As in, he wanted her to come to him. Katara stared at the hand for a moment, gulped, then walked over to him, careful to maintain a cool composure.

Zuko wrapped an arm around her shoulder and faced his father once again, relief flooding his senses when Katara bowed to the Fire Lord, not saying a word. She was being careful. Good.

And of course, The Lord Of The Jerks was going to ruin it.

"So... how many grandchildren are you planning on presenting me with?" The question was aimed at Katara, and clearly, too. Zuko couldn't step in. Katara had to answer the embarrassing question on her own. _Geez, nice way to start a conversation. _Katara mentally grumbled, her hate for the Fire Lord jumping up five increments. If that was even possible.

"I'm not sure, sir." Well, at least she was being polite.

"Come now, you must have some idea!" His voice was fakingly arcane, and Katara could sense it, even in his "hearty" chuckle.

"Well... two, perhaps? We have yet to speak on the subject." Katara refused to let up. She wasn't going to be toyed with.

"Well, you need to start thinking on it! Carrying children is your most important job as Princess right now, to both our nation and your own." Katara nodded, still not looking at the person speaking to her.

"Zuko, I have heard that you do not plan on living in the palace. Is this correct?"

"Yes, that is correct." Zuko confirmed, relieved at the change of subject.

"And why is this? Does your home not suit you?" The Fire Lord didn't sound angry, but everybody knew that Zuko had been dropped onto dangerous grounds.

"It is not that at all, father. I simply believe that it would be best for Katara and I in a place that is similar to what we are both used to. The climate here is, after all, very new to her, and that could be a danger to any children Katara may carry in the future."

Kianna grinned triumphantly, proud of how swiftly and carefully her brother had handled the question. The Fire Lord was quiet for awhile, pondering Zuko's response. In reality, he was looking for a way to get angry with Zuko. But he didn't find one. So he decided to try and test the former peasant. And to see how far he could push his testy son.

"So, your name is Katara. Who on earth thought of a name like that?"

"..." Katara chose not to answer that question, but she was unsure if not responding at all would end worse.

Zuko gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, trying to support her in any way possible.

"Katara means Starry Waters in Taelek. Odette informs me that the name was given to her as a gift from the spirits." Kianna stepped in, protecting Katara.

"Ahh, Kianna. So you _are _here. Most of us had believed you to be dead long ago, only to find out about a year ago that you survived. So, you tell me that you have contact with the spirits? Do you think you are somehow better than us, so that it is possible for you to speak with the spirits?"

"I speak with the spirits because I have their blood." Kianna countered bravely, actually glaring at her father. Zuko was stunned. Kianna had given off her secret! She could be executed!

"Is that so!" Ozai was on his feet, the fire that had been burning in front of him increasing in size and flickering across the metal ceiling.

"Yes, it is." Her voice was calm, collected. If this man thought that he could play with the world as if they were pieces in a game, she was about to prove him wrong.

"You dare look at me without my permission!"

"You dare speak to a goddess with such disrespect?" Kianna replied, faking an angelic smile.

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE WHELP!" Ozai roared and shot a massive fire blast at Kianna. Zuko, acting merely on instinct, pulled Katara down to the ground and lie over her to protect her, leaving the path to Kianna wide open.

The fire lit the entire room, heat causing some of the tapestries to smoke. Kianna didn't flinch. A look of boredom and uninterest fell across her face, and she lazily raised a hand. The fire stopped.

Ozai watched in horror and disbelief as Kianna stood there, raising an eyebrow at him. She clasped her hand shut and pulled it back. The fire dissappeared. Zuko helped Katara up, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head, as the girl was shaking violently.

A shimmer of golden light suddenly appeared next to the mage, and Odette came into view. Everyone in the room except Kianna, Bella, Katara, and Zuko gasped. The air goddess was here. And she **_WAS NOT _**happy.

Taelek is the language of the gods. Well, at least, it is in my ficcy and every other story that I write. Kianna knows it and teaches it to the members of the Phoenix Army. They don't know ALL of it, except for important and basic words so they can speak privately to each other with lots of people around. Okay, that must be a very confusing explanation, but, whatever.

In some myths, the gods like to give gifts to mortals that they know will grow to be strong and a reason to be proud of. Katara was blessed with beauty from La, who had been the moon spirit at the time(even though La means push and Yue means moon, which one of my reviewers corrected me on) song from Odette, power from Tearsin (star goddess) and her name was from Odette and Tearsin both. Why they blessed her, I still have to come up with.

Well, that wraps it up for this chapter! Sorry for how long it took to update, and another sorry to everybody who was looking forward to seeing the rest of the honeymoon. Like I said, attention span of a squirrel.

Zuko: Who else is gonna die! Ur planning evil things!

BF: YUP!

Zuko: I WANNA HELP!

BF: lol okay... u can help...

Zuko: Yay! (scary!)

BF: Okay, now... step into this chapter...

Zuko: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH UNCLE! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SOMEBODY, **HELP ME!**

BF: rofl

Katara: laughs well, these are promises of what's to come, so stay tuned!

BF: (away from Katara and Zuko) I don't think they want to know what evil things I have in store. Nobody is safe knowing! Muhahahahahahaha. Yes, I know I'm pathetic... **WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

Pudding.


	10. Dancing With The Spirits

Well, I'm back and pumped up, ready to start the next chapter! WHOO! Yes, I'm psychotic.

Okay, so I know I don't make Ozai sound very evil, but, I'm not very good at doing that kind of thing over a short period of time. Srry, I guess I should have had little scenes of what was going on in the Capital before, but I guess I just don't think of these things before they're too late.

Also, I am deciding to start following the rules again. (srry) Until puts ATLA back onto their story listing, this fic will remain really clean. I've worked hard on this story and don't want to risk it getting deleted.

This means that I'm replacing most of the previous chapters to make this story more "T" rated. For those of you who actually read the authors notes, I just wanted to put this down so you don't get all confused about what happened. For those of you that don't... well, you'll read the notes to find out eventually, so, I can wait.

Chapter Who The Heck Knows: Dancing With The Spirits

The room was silent. Well, that was an understatement. Odette stood in the room, so angry that see-through fire raged and danced around her partially glowing form. Kianna stood next to her, calm and glaring at her father. The Fire Lord was in a whole lot of trouble, and everybody knew it, too.

"Ozai, you dare, YOU _DARE _speak with my sister in such a way!" Odette steamed, approaching the terrified ruler.

"She cannot be your sister! She is my daughter!" Ozai defended, taking a step back with each step the air goddess took forward. "Her mother and I have three children, and you are not one of them!"

"SHE IS MY SISTER AND THE NIECE OF AGNI! SHE POSSESSES POWERS FAR BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION, AND YET YOU TALK TO HER LIKE YOU ARE GOD!" The fire around Odette was no longer see through, and it roared and crackled dangerously. She had every intent of masacring the Fire Lord right then and there.

"She is my daughter and I DEMAND respect from her!" Ozai The Moron pressed on, still not backing down. Kianna quickly walked up to her sister, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. The fire did not harm her, and Odette calmed down, the flames shrinking away.

"You demand respect from her..." Odette shook her head, sighing in frustration. "Kianna, I don't know how you've put up with this for so many years." Odette spoke, her voice shaking slightly. Normally, a spirit's voice didn't shake. How ungodly would that be? But the goddess was so thoroughly pissed off, Kianna was surprised that she hadn't blasted the bastard Fire Lord to bits already.

"Because I still have the safety of my siblings to think about." Kianna stated, not at all affected by Odette's power. She was used to it, and had enough of her own to not be afraid by it. "But now that they're older, stronger, there is no reason for me to be." She turned, adressing her father. "You are not King of the World, Ozai, nor will you ever be. Nobody shall ever have that title except God. If you do not accept that, then shame be on you, and all of the other Fire Lord's who had continued this despicable war. I will have you know that the end of your rein has been in sight for a long, long time.

"You believe that you are all powerful? That you can control the world? I will have you know that more than half of the Fire Nation is apalled by this war, and wishes for the other nations to win. That for the long years that I have been gone I have been assembling an army of warriors from all nations, including our own. This army is huge, and our connections are strong. We could over power Fire Nation in a heart beat, so is our training. But this is a world army, one that is sworn in to protect the fate of this world in a whole, not just their own nation." Kianna paused, taking a breath and letting the information sink in with the Fire Lord.

"Guards, seize her! Seize her and her companions, now! Kill Kianna!" Ozai realised that the guards were not moving. And it wasn't from fear of Odette, either. The Fire Lord watched in horror as they removed their armor, revealing black and gold outfits with the golden phoenix picture at their backs. Zuko did the same. Kianna hadn't replaced the guards, either. The guards had NEVER been loyal to Ozai. They were one of Kianna's key sources of information, and had been members of the Phoenix Army long before Kianna had stepped in as leader.

"Looks like you're low on loyal subjects, father." Zuko stated, glancing at his fellow Phoenix soldiers. Three were from Earth Kingdom, two of which were earth benders. Six were fire benders, two water benders, and five were air benders. Kianna had been correct about a great deal of the Air Nomads surviving. Many of them lived in Fire Nation. All of them, except Aang, served Phoenix.

"Zuko, you too!"

"Are you _really _that surprised?" Odette questioned, her voice cold. "Zuko has not been loyal to you for awhile now, Ozai. He had been, too. But you, **_YOU_ **were the one to change that. You scared your own son and banished him to find someone that everyone believed to be dead and never comming back. YOU, Ozai, turned your most loyal subject. And now? Zuko is one of the strongest members of the Phoenix army, and can even come dangerously close to defeating Kianna, who has the blood of a goddess. I will have you know that if he HAD fought you in the Agni Kai, Agni would have given Zuko his power so that he would win. Agni praises Zuko greatly, and he spits at your name. Why? Because YOU are the disgrace. You have brought shame to your nation, and your son will be the one to restore it's former glory. Now you have the choice. Back down. Surrender to defeat, and be shown mercy. Or, face your son in an Agni Kai. But, I assure you, he WILL fight. And he WILL win."

"I will not lose to my son. Zuko, if you challenge me, I WILL kill you in the match."

"Funny thing, father" Zuko walked forward, stopping next to Odette and Kianna. "I was just about to say the same exact thing." His eyes flashed with deadly defiance, power flowing through his veins and pumping his inner fire. As had been with Odette, fire was encircling the Prince, showing that he was every bit as ready for this battle as Kianna had made him. Zuko _wasn't _going to lose. No matter what, Zuko would win.

Katara watched with worry written clearly on her face as Zuko prepared to fight his father. She said nothing, merely watching as Zuko paced around the room. Finally he groaned and collapsed in a chair, burying his face in his hands. Katara rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing the top of his head.

"Katara... thank you..." Zuko murmured, leaning back against his wife. Katara blinked and looked down at him.

"For what?"

"For being here with me. For marrying me. For loving me." Zuko reached up and pulled her to him, pressing their lips together and holding her close. "If I don't come back-"

"Hush." Katara whispered, placing a finger to his lips as her own trembled. "Don't... don't say that. You're comming back, Zuko, so... so believe that you are. Please. You're comming back. _You are. _" Katara whimpered and hugged him tightly, biting back tears. She knew that he would win. He _had _to win. Kianna and Odette had no doubts, but, still. Katara felt an awful twisting in her stomach at the thought of Zuko never comming back, of him losing. But it wouldn't happen. It couldn't. Not now. Not after everything that they had been through. Zuko _was going to win._

But it never came to that. Kianna walked into the room moments before Zuko was about to step out, and she shook her head.

"You can relax, now. Ozai jumped from his balcony. Apparently he'd give up before he lost to his son." Kianna shook her head. "The coward."

Katara felt a flood of relief and hugged Zuko in a death grip. He was safe. And he was going to be Fire Lord. Katara blinked when she realised it. If Zuko took the throne, the war would be over. There would be peace. She wouldn't have to worry about raising a child through a war. Because there wouldn't be one. Zuko asked for Kianna to let them have some alone time, and sat with Katara in his lap, looking into her shimmering sapphire eyes. Katara gave him a sound, loving kiss that made Zuko feel like he was melting under her touch.

"I love you so much..." Katara murmured, her shoulders heaving and crystal tears streaming down her cheeks. So much relief mixed in her that it just made her cry. Zuko held her close, comforting her and rubbing her back.

"I love you, too, Katara. With all of my heart... I really, really do." Zuko took a deep breath, eventually shooing Katara off of his lap so that they could get ready for bed.

A few minutes later Katara curled up to her husband, head resting on his toned chest while he gently stroked her hair. "Goodnight, Zuko." Katara murmured.

"Goodnight miss worry." Katara jerked her head up to see Zuko grinning at her. She scowled and hit him playfully, only to have Zuko chuckle. He reached up and growled playfully and Katara squeaked as he gentle-tackled her down to the bed, giving her ear a gentle nip before he placed a small kiss on her lips. Finally he curled back up to her and closed his eyes, sleep quickly grabbing hold of him. Katara snuggled closer and sighed blissfully. She truly did belong in Zuko's arms.

Katara woke the next morning when she heard voices in the room. One of them she recognized as Zuko's, the other she had never heard before. She was only half awake, but she still caught some of the conversation.

_Yeah, Zula, I know... _ That had been Zuko's voice, and she'd heard the name Zula before. Wasn't it Zuko's younger sister?

_Well, I just wanted to be sure... _She sounded worried. Another voice in the hallway made Zula leave, and Zuko climbed back into bed, noticing that Katara was awake. He smirked evily and scooped her up in his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Somebody's up early." He stated, nuzzling Katara happily.

"You're one to talk..." She groaned in a groggy voice. "Wh-what time is it?" She managed through a yawn.

"Not even sunrise." Katara blinked and looked up at her husband.

"How the heck do you get up this early! Are you insane?" Zuko chuckled and kissed her forehead, shaking his head.

"My sister had to talk to me. I guess I should be getting up, though. I've got a long day ahead. Katara... I'm being sworn in as Fire Lord today." Zuko whispered the last part, and waited for Katara's reaction.

"Oh." She didn't look too pleased, but she didn't seem too upset, either. "So, um... what should I do today?" Katara didn't want to end up lost in the palace, or anything like it.

"Well, why don't you spend some time with Zula and Kianna today? I'm sure Zula would like to meet you, and they're probably just going to wander around today." Zuko suggested, still not letting go of the young waterbender. She was beginning to wonder if he ever would.

"Okay, so... can I go back to bed now?" Zuko laughed quietly and laid her back down on the bed. He gave her a quick kiss before he got up to get ready for the morning. "See you later, Zuko..." Katara whispered, now doubting that she'd be able to fall back asleep.

"See you. Have fun today, alright? Just enjoy yourself. Chances are, we might not be able to leave this place too soon, but I'll make sure we do eventually. I'm rebuilding this government from scratch." Zuko walked into the bathroom and Katara smiled. He was going to make a great leader.

I know, I know. The chapter skipped around quite a bit, but, hey. Attention span, remember?


	11. Surprise

BF: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Zuko: Lord please help us...

BF: Hmf...

Katara: Could we please just get on with it?

BF: O, right, srry. Hi peoples! Nobody tried to guess who's gonna die, which makes me really sad... plz guess? pretty plz? I don't kno how many of u r gonna get it right, but, still... I wanna see wat ur guesses r.

Zuko: Who _are_ you going to kill, ne way?

BF: Pft, like I'm tellin U mister bully pants!

Zuko:...bully pants?

Chapter 12 Surprise!(not really)

Katara lay silently on the over sized, over priced bed. Zuko was out at some meeting with the people who had served Ozai the most. Chances are, he was firing most of them. Almost all of Ozai's workers- except the palace guards, who had never been loyal to him- were to be replaced with people Zuko trusted. This left Katara with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling and wonder when her husband was coming back. Gee, what fun that was.

The water bender groaned and climbed out of bed. She walked over to the window and pulled back the black silk drapes so she could see the garden down below, and smiled. The garden really was lovely, as were the lands surrounding the palace. Katara wandered out onto the balcony, leaning against the railing and watching the children of the phoenix members run around and play. It was nice to see them having fun after watching the obedient children of the harbor village.

A knock on the door brought Katara from her thoughts, and she walked to answer it. She slammed the door closed the second she opened it. Of course, she was about ready to kick herself for it. The skull mask of the guard had scared her, but she was still their Fire Lord's wife, so she shouldn't be so scared of them...

Ling (guard) took a deep breath, calming himself, and knocked on the door again. This time, Katara only opened it enough to peer out. "Can I help you?" She asked politely.

"I was just making sure everything was okay. Things were pretty quiet up here."

"Um, yeah... everything's fine. There's not really much to make noise with up here, afterall..." Katara responded quietly. Ling smiled warmly, and Katara felt better. He had taken his mask and helmet off, too. That really helped.

"Well, if you're bored, I could get a few guards and show you around the palace, maybe even the guard system? It should make you feel a bit more safe, knowing how the guard runs." Ling offered politely.

"That won't be necessary, Ling." Katara opened the door and looked down the hallway in the direction her husband's voice had come from. "Katara and I won't be living in this palace. Our home has just been labled as ready, and we will be going there tomorrow evening." Ling stepped aside to allow Zuko passage to his room, and his anxious wife. Katara threw her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly.

"Did you really miss me that much?" Zuko chuckled, hugging her back. Ling excused himself, leaving the couple alone.

"Yes, I did miss you that much." Katara shot back, pouting cutely. "Do you realize how boring it is up here?" Zuko chuckled again, leading his princess into the bed room.

"Well, I come bearing a lot of good news. One of which you've already heard." Katara smiled and sat down on the couch, looking at Zuko as if asking him to join her. Zuko took his seat and continued. "Another is that I already have your personal guard picked out."

"Zuko, this isn't good news! I don't want to be followed around by a group of guards!" Zuko kissed Katara, effectively silencing her. He smiled, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"They won't be following you everywhere. Just where guards are required. Most of the time you will have at least one guard with you, but I'll make sure they are dressed casually. After all, many of your guard are females." Katara brightened at the last bit.

"Who was that, at the door?"

"That was Ling. He's a member of my own guard, but I instructed him to keep watch on this floor. He's really light hearted, I think you'll like him."

"Okay, so... what other news do you have?"

"Trinity is still your lady in waiting." Katara smiled and hugged Zuko tightly. There had been chances that Trinity would have been replaced, and Katara was glad that she hadn't been.

"And?"

Zuko smiled and shook his head. "And you can explore the palace as much as you'd like, just make sure to tell your guard where you're going, so one of them can come with you." Zuko yawned and toed off his shoes, exhausted.

"Alright..." Katara laughed, noticing how sluggish Zuko was moving. "I'm guessing you're tired?" She mused, giggling as Zuko nodded and picked her up. The young fire lord carried her to the bed and climbed in next to her, snuggling Katara happily. The couple sighed, sleep quickly grabbing a hold of them.

Katara awoke the next morning when bright beams of sunlight fell across her face. She groaned and turned onto her side, pulling the blankets over her head. She heard a sigh and then felt the covers being tugged off of the bed.

"Come on, Katara. It's time for you to wake up. Zula and Kianna are waiting to go out with you today!" Trinity insisted, pulling the pillows off of the bed before Katara could hide beneath them. The princess huffed and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

A sharp pang in her head made Katara slow down when she tried to get out of bed, and she sat back down, clutching her stomach. Trinity hurried over and put a hand to her forehead. She was burning up, and her skin was clammy.

"Oh, never mind! You've got a fever. Here, lay back down... OH!" Trinity jumped out of the way when Katara went rushing for the bathroom, and she winced as she heard retching noises echo off the walls. "Oh..."

There was an abrupt knock on the door, followed by Kianna and Zula walking in. They heard the noises, and Kianna rushed to the bathroom. Zula frowned and looked at Trinity, a questioning look in her eyes. "She woke up that way, miss."

"Alright. Well, we'll stick around with her for awhile. Why don't you go get her some medicine and stuff?" Zula stated, putting the bed spread back on. Trinity nodded and hurried out of the room, while Zula walked in to help her sister with... her other sister.

"Okay, you alright?" Kianna whispered soothingly, rubbing Katara's back. Katara nodded weakly, breathing through her mouth.

"I don't know what happened... it was just so sudden..." Kianna nodded and helped Katara get up, Zula coming over to support the other side as they helped Katara back into bed.

"Well, we planned on staying the day with you, so, that's what we're going to do." Zula stated calmly, placing a damp wash cloth over Katara's forehead.

"Thanks..." Katara murmured, wrenching her eyes closed as her stomach twisted and gurgled again...

LATER THAT NIGHT

Katara poked her stomach and sighed, more upset over getting fat than she was about what was causing it. Afterall, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was just a little surprising that it was happing so... soon.

Zuko walked in and quirked an eyebrow, chuckling at the strange sight before him. Katara's dress was pulled up to her chest, and she was poking her tum. Awkward, but still amusing. "Katara, did you eat spicy foods again? I told you your body wasn't used to it enough to-" Zuko broke off when Katara shook her head, and she beckoned him to come over.

"Believe me, it was nothing I ate." Katara whispered, grasping her husband's hand the second he was close enough. Zuko climbed into bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"Zuko, I'm pregnant." Straight forward sure was so much easier than beating around the bush.

Zuko didn't respond at all for several moments. He stared into Katara's eyes, the statement trying to register in his brain. When it finally did...

He fell off the bed.

THUD

BF: For this, I had in mind that thing that happens in cartoons, where they just randomly lose their balance and fall. Heheh, I know it was kind of, um, random, but... I like being random! And it's my own pathetic attempts at humor. I'm not very good at it, as you can see.

RanR! PLZ! And plz try guessin who gonna die!


	12. Labor

BF: And, once again, we're back with another chapter of Not So Bad! Woo!

Zuko: groan

Katara: What're YOU groaning about! You're not the one with- urrp

BF: Heheheheheheheheheheheh...

Zuko: YOU MADE HER GET PREGNANT JUST TO TORTURE ME, DIDN'T YOU?

Katara: _SHE'S _NOT THE ONE WHO-

BF: OKAY, WE _DO NOT _NEED TO HEAR THIS!

BF: I don't own Avatar The Last Airbender, Mulan, or anything else to brag about. I just own this story. And I don't really think that's anything to brag about, so, yeah. Also, I tend to bring things of the future into my stories so please, don't mind me. I'm sorry if it spoils the feel or anything...

BF: Also, the main scene in this chapter is Zuko and Katara opening their wedding and baby presents together. Basically, I just wanted to put some more communication through the couple.

BTW, this story isn't going to be too much longer. Maybe a few more chapters. I _AM_ going to finish it though, so please, bare with me. This would be the very first story I ever finish!

Labor

Katara giggled as she watched her two sisters bicker. The two of them had decided to spend as much time with Katara as possible, considering how her little bundle of joy refused to give her a moment's peace... or freedom of sickness.

Several mats and tons of fluffy pillows had been set around the floor so that Katara could lay on her pallet and Zula and Kianna could relax next to her. All of them were enjoying spending time together, and Katara was pleased that she had company when Zuko was off working. She faced Zula as the slightly younger girl made another statement.

"It's gonna be a boy, only boys would put their mothers through this much hell." Zula snapped, popping another grape in her mouth as she settled in her spot next to Katara.

"Oh, please. You put mother through way more when she was going to have you! When she was going to have Zuko, she NEVER got this sick! He was a quiet baby, too. All he did was coo and giggle." Kianna teased, actually telling the truth. Zuko hadn't even cried when he was hungry. He'd simply cuddle up to his mother and make cute little "Ah!" noises.

"No way! There is no way Zuko was a better baby then me!" Zula protested.

"He was cuter, too." Kianna taunted.

Zula chucked a grape at Kianna's head, smirking and "Ha!" 'ing when it hit her on the forehead.

"I still don't understand why it really matters..." Katara murmured quietly, rubbing her stomach gently. It had been two months since she had first told Zuko, and the healers were estimating that she was four months pregnant. The baby was guessed to be born on the day of the cloud. (I'm making this up as I go)

"Well, it does matter, kind of." Kianna said, propping herself up on her elbows. "What do you wanna have?" She asked.

"I kinda hope it's a girl..." Katara whispered, blushing slightly.

"As long as the girl takes after her mother, I'm good. The last thing we need is a miniature Zuko around here." Zula added, grinning as she said it.

"Actually, I'm curious to see what the baby will look like. You and Zuko both have good looks, so your baby should really be cute." Kianna reasoned, remembering how adorable Zuko had been. She guessed he was going to be a dotting father, and the thought made her smile.

"Okay, so, besides gender, what physically or personality wise do you absolutely pray that your child will have?" Zula asked.

"I want her-or him- to be a bender." Katara responded automatically. She had been thinking about it, and she truly prayed that she would have a little bender.

"Well, it'd make sense. Mothers of benders tend to get birth symptoms early on, and they vary drastically depending on the bending ability. Who knows, maybe you'll have a bibender. Which, by the way, means they have two bending abilities." Kianna added when Katara choked at the word "bi".

"Yeah, like Kianna. Only, Kianna's a tribender, and that's because she's a child of the gods." Zula said, actually agreeing with her sister for once.

"Oh, believe me, the gods are going to wanna bless _all _of your babies. They adore both you _and_ Zuko. The thought of you two having children together makes them ecstatic. Now, I don't know if they're going to give your baby multiple bending or not, but I do know that you are going to have one unique child." Kianna kicked her feet back and forth behind her while she twisted small braids into Zula's hair.

"We don't need to talk about all of this right now, ya'know. She has five more months to go." Zula made braids and other little styles in Katara's hair, feeling a bit happier.

"Katara, I-" Zuko stopped when he saw his sisters, and the three girls giggled.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Katara." Kianna said brightly, hugging the girl tightly.

"Hope you feel better soon." Zula added as she gave Katara her own hug. The girls waved good-bye and left the room, Zuko waiting until they were gone before he walked over and snuggled up to Katara.

"Hello, Zuko." Katara giggled, kissing him happily.

"Hello, Kara." he muttered, his voice muffled against her hair. "And hello to you too, little one." He added gently, kissing Katara's stomach. Katara smiled and hugged Zuko, sighing in contentment.

"What did you wanna talk about?" She asked, leaning back against her husband and allowing him to stroke her hair.

"Hmm? Oh, not anything in particular. I'm done for the day, and wanted to come spend some time with you."

"Awwww..." Katara brightened up. She always loved spending time with Zuko. Even if he _was_ the reason that there was a little person squirming around in her tummy.

(Almost Five Months Later)

Katara "Awwwwwwww" 'ed when she opened the next present. It contained a cute, light brown bear with big, adorable eyes made of onyx stone and fur made of the fluffiest material she had ever felt. The bear was so cute and soft, she wondered if her baby would ever want to let go of it. Katara set the bear with the large pile of presents and sighed as she reached for the next one.

Zuko walked into the room, grinning as he watched Katara pick another of the couple hundred presents she had yet to open. Some were presents in celebration of the baby, some wedding gifts, and a few had something for both. Zuko sat down next to his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I guess we really should have opened our wedding presents before, huh?" He asked lightly, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I think so." Katara giggled, handing him one wrapped in silver with a gold bow. "I think this is a wedding present, why don't you open it? Or, better yet, just help me open all of them." She said, sweeping her arm to show all of the presents. Zuko laughed and nodded, pulling the ribbon from the present.

"Hey Katara, check it out." He whispered, showing her the present. Katara gasped when she saw. The present was two necklaces that fit together to form the yin-yang symbol. On the back of each was a word. The back of the black one said Fire in golden lettering and the white one had Water in silver lettering. The piecies shimmered brightly, and the couple looked at each other in wonder.

Zuko helped Katara to clasp the white necklace on her neck, while she helped him put on his. "What a beautiful present!" She exclaimed, holding hers in her hand. Zuko nodded and looked at his own necklace, wondering who had given them the present. He hoped to find out who it was so that he could send them a suitable thank-you. The present really was remarkably fitting. Zuko and Katara were very much like Yin and Yang.

Katara started to open the next brightly wrapped present when she stopped and clutched her stomach, groaning. "I swear, this baby is trying to be a martial arts expert before they're one day old." She complained, wincing as her child continued to kick her stomach and ribs. Zuko put his hand on her stomach and smiled as he felt the kicks. He kissed her stomach and gently whispered to his baby.

"Come on now, be nice to mommy." The two of them giggled, and Katara's eyes widened a bit when the kicks stopped a moment later.

"Well, the baby sure loves you." She stated, wondering if the baby had reconized it's father's voice.

"The baby loves you, too." Zuko murmured against her neck before he kissed her and picked up another present. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Katara insisted, not wanting Zuko to get into worried mode _again_. He tended to panic at the slightest pains. "Oooh, look at this picture!" Katara showed Zuko the painting, her eyes sparkling. "Isn't this the lagoon we stopped at before Kianna's party?" She asked, definately reconizing it.

"Sure is." Zuko blinked in surprise. "Says it's from Hinara. She's one of Zula's friends, she was at the party." Katara nodded and carefully rolled up the scroll so that she could open another present. They weren't making very fast progress, so at this rate, they would be opening presents until the next morning.

"Oh, here's another one, and it's from Kianna!" Katara gasped, excited. Kianna's package contained several scrolls and a few pictures mounted on mahogany. "That's weird, some of them are all glossy... and they look so _real_." Katara was amazed by the quality of the paintings. It looked like Kianna had frozen the moment and put it on paper.

"Hey, I reconize that!" Zuko said, pointing to the glossy paintings. "They're not really paintings, they're called photographs. It's how people make pictures waaaaay in the future. Kianna said you make them with a camera, and you can print lots of them out from just one shot. She taught me how awhile ago, and I could teach you sometime, too." Zuko offered, examining Kianna's pictures. They were shots of the town she had held the party in. The pictures were from both before and after the canals with the glowing water were formed.

"I'd really like that." Katara said, putting the pictures aside. She wondered where Kianna had gotten the camera, but shook the thought from her head.

"Uh-oh, more clothes..." Zuko grimmaced as he lifted the cute blue shirt with the black pants out of the box. They had received so much clothes for the baby, they wondered if their child would get the chance to wear them all before it grew and wouldn't fit in them anymore.

"Aww, what an adorable little outfit!" Katara cooed, admiring the soft cotton.

"And what if we have a girl?"

"A girl could wear this outfit, too." Katara defended, folding the outfit up. She opened another present, finding a soft, silk, silver baby blanket trimmed with gold thread with a picture of a majestic-looking dragon on each side. Surprisingly, it was the first baby blanket they had recieved, and so she decided it was to be her baby's baby blanket. Just as she was putting it in the crib, however, she felt an incredible jolt of pain in her stomach.

She grasped her stomach and cried out, falling to her knees. Zuko rushed over, immediately wrapping his arms around his wife, panicking. "Katara! Katara! Katara, Lords Katara, please tell me you're alright!" Zuko tried desperately to get her to look at him, but she was curling up as much as she could, constantly gasping in pain.

"Zuko! AHHHHHHHHH! Contr-contractions!" Katara whimpered, wondering why she hadn't had contractions before. Her nurse had said that she would get small ones every once in awhile, then they would gradually become stronger and closer together. When they were about ten minutes apart, it usually meant that she was going into labor.

"What! But this is your first one, right?" Katara nodded and winced, but then began to calm down as the pain eased. "But your first one was supposed to be small and short!" Katara glared at Zuko, tugging him closer.

"I know what was _supposed_ to happen!" She growled. Enter the mood swings.

"Sorry, I just, um... maybe I should get the nurse..." Zuko got up to go and find the nurse, only to have Katara grab his hand and clutch her stomach again, whimpering. "ANOTHER ONE!" Zuko breathed, calming himself. "Sorry, just a little jumpy." Zuko helped Katara to her pallet, calling for a guard to get the nurse.

Several other nurses soon joined the first ones, rushing to get what they needed to do done. Katara had just broken water.


	13. Radon

Zuko: _MY GOD _THAT WAS SCARY!

BF: Oh, come on! It wasn't that bad!

Zuko: Yes it was! The baby came out through... ULGH!

BF: Heh...

Zuko: And have you ever held someone's hand while they gave birth?

BF: No, what's the problem with holding Katara's hand while she has _your_ kid?

Zuko: She almost broke my handoff, dammit!

BF: HAHA!

Baby Radon

Katara sat in bed, holding her squirming little boy and cooing at him happily. Zuko sat on the bed next to them with an arm around Katara's shoulders as he watched his newborn child coo back at his mother. It really was heartwarming...

"Ma'am? It's about time for little Radon to have his first feeding. Would you like me to show you how?" Laney, the nurse who had helped Katara through the pregnancy and birth, took a soft towel from the table as Katara nodded.

"Yes, please. I've only fed the babies in my village with seal skins before." Katara replied, blushing.

"Hey Laney, where's the bottle?" Zuko asked, not seeing it on the table or in the nurse's hands. Laney blinked and stared at the oblivious fire lord, for a moment wondering if he was serious.

"Radon is too young to feed from a bottle, let alone have formula." Katara looked at Laney quizzically.

"Why do I have the feeling this is going to turn out very... strange?"

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt much." Laney assured the nervous newbie mother.

Zuko looked on in horror as Laney instructed Katara to lift her shirt up, pull down her breast band, and to let Radon drink from her breast. His _son_ was sucking on Katara's... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

"Wow, Zuko, you look kinda jealous." Zula sneered playfully, laughing when Zuko flipped her off. She sent a bird right back at him, then walked with Kianna over to see the little boy. Katara's face was all scrunched up as she tried to get used to the feeling of having a baby draw milk from her breast.

"This is... awkward..." She stated, trying to support her son's head.

"You know what's even MORE awkward?" Kianna began, an evil grin on her face.

"Kianna I swear if you don't shut your mouth, I'll-" Zula was quickly cut off.

"SOKKA AND ZULA WERE MAKIN' OUT!" Kianna laughed then hurried away from her sister, whom had lunged at her in an attempt to both silence and murder the big mouth.

"..."

"..." Neither Zuko or Katara could find a response to Kianna's statement. Katara was quickly distracted when Radon decided that he was full, and the water bender rubbed his back to burp him. Zuko stared when his son let out quite a large burp for his small size. "Geez..." He shook his head in wonder.

"Well now, wasn't that big burp!" Katara cooed, nuzzling Radon's cheek. Radon soon lost interest with his mother and reached out to his father, whom tried to ignore it. If he made a mistake and dropped Radon, Katara would KILL him. Zuko had never held a baby before, afterall, and didn't want to screw up.

"Hey, bro! I think your kid wants you to hold him!" Zula practically shouted in his ear. She would have REALLY shouted, just to tick Zuko off, but she didn't want to terrify the little one. Zuko glared at his sister, his steely gaze quickly melting when Katara placed Radon in his arms.

The little boy made a funny noise and squirmed a bit, staring up at his father. Zuko smiled down at Radon, amazed at how small he was...

"Don't drop him, kay?" Zula said, merely to annoy him.

"The things I'd say if the baby weren't here right now..." Zuko grumble-whispered.

That night Katara snuggled up close to her husband, sighing in content. Radon was a very quiet baby, and had gone to sleep quite eventlessly, leaving his parents to a peaceful night. Zuko smiled and pulled Katara closer, forgetting just how well their bodies could fit together without a baby filled tummy in the way.

"I can't believe he turned out so small... and quiet..." Zuko murmured, missing talking to his wife.

"Yeah, I know. We really are lucky to have such a well behaved little boy." Katara agreed, happy to be communicating with Zuko.

"Not only that, but he takes after you for looks. He has your eyes, nose, and cute little mouth." Zuko whispered, smiling.

"He has your ears, thank Kami. I have monkey ears." Katara replied, smiling.

"You do not have monkey ears. You are absolutely adorable and have no physical faults." Zuko stated defiantly.

"Well, as much as I disagree with that statement, thank you for saying it."

"Welcome."

Radon didn't stay quiet for long. Late into the night- or, rather, extremely early in the morning- he awoke his parents, crying for food. Zuko almost got up to take care of it, but then he remembered exactly how the boy needed to be fed. Katara grinned and kissed Zuko on the cheek, climbing out of bed.

"Okay, okay little Radon. Mommy's here..." Katara whispered as she picked the squirming child out of his crib. "Are you hungry?" Radon opened and closed his mouth a few times, making Katara giggle. "I guess so..."

Zuko groaned and looked away when Katara began to feed him. A few minutes later he heard a burp and a whimper, which caused him to look over in curiosity. Katara was gently rocking Radon in her arms, humming a lullaby as she walked over to the rocking chair. Zuko smiled and watched the water princess as she rocked her son to sleep.

Katara stared down at her son, feeling a sense of pride and amazement. She and Zuko had done this. They'd made this adorable little boy, whom she now would raise and love and cherish. She had brought this baby into this world. It was mind blowing, in a way.

Radon's eyes began to droop closed, the sound of his mother's voice mixed with the somehow familiar swaying motion was working wonderfully. He was asleep within two minutes, leaving Katara to continue rocking him for awhile, for extra safety. Finally she placed him back inside the crib, then climbed back into bed with Zuko. Radon would probably wake up again soon, but until he did, she was Zuko's to hold and love.


	14. A Bittersweet Victory

BF: I come baring good news! Well, good news for me, that is.

This is the final chapter.

It's only good news for me because it means I can have a super long break now and can think about the sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel, so for those of you who were sad about the story's end, don't worry.

I'm also accepting all ideas for the sequel. If there's something you absolutely MUST see happen... LET ME KNOW! I'd love to put in some more humor and other things for you guys, 'cuz this story_ is _for you guys. For each and every person who reads this story.

I feel kinda bad about the way I'm going to end the story... feel free to yell at me for it.

**_WARNING:_ there is quite a bit of violence in this chapter. If you get queasy easily, you'll want to skip the parts where you see this!!!!! in between them. I do this because I read a fic before where it mentioned her doing something with a fan that just made me grip my legs and almost hurl. I don't want this to happen to you guys, so, for the queasy ones, skip the bad parts!**

FINAL CHAPTER

Losing When Winning

Katara's eyes gleamed with thousands of emotions as she secured her wear. _Hope. Hope that things won't always be like this._ She tightened the runite chain body for extra security; the snug fit of the metal was comforting yet disturbing.

_Sadness. Sadness that people didn't want to except peace._ Katara fastened her thick leg and arm guards, wincing as the constant pounding of the war drums thundered in her ears.

_Anger. Anger that the other nations were resorting to such treachery. They were the ones who wanted the war to be over, but now they were making things worse!_ She slid her cotton tee-shirt over the chain body, then buckled a weapon belt around her waist. Knives were hidden every place she could reach them easily, and several vials with needles at the end held poison that would kill in seconds were tucked in her pockets. The poison was specially designed so that it couldn't harm her: it'd make her three times stronger.

A gorgeous silver long sword was pulled down from the wall by her sturdy hands, seeming to radiate heat in happiness as she tested her new weapon, swinging around. It was sheathed and left to hold to her belt while she placed sword holders, much like the ones Zuko used, on her back. She couldn't use broad swords, but any other sword was natural to her. Not to mention the razor sharp fans that she had tucked away.

Zula ran into the room, anger and the heat of battle dancing across her face and in her eyes. "Katara, we need to go. You all set?" Katara nodded and hurried out of the room with Zula, anxious to make her new home safe once again. Safe for her people. Safe for her family... especially her now two year old son, Radon.

Shouts of rage and pain mixed and whipped through the air, confusion and chaos thick in the atmosphere. Battle orders were given out; armies sprinted left and right.

The mattalic sound of swords clashing, the booming and accompanying earth shaking of fired catapults, the smell of burned skin, and the fires every which way reminded Katara that the battle had long been started. Zula disappeared into the fray, knowing Katara could take care of herself.

Katara ran deeper into the village, relieved that quite a few soldiers had the job of rescuing the villagers. A figure, clothed and masked entirely in grey, ran at her with a sword. Katara easily dodged their messy attack and plunged her own withdrawn sword through their gut before they had time to stop running.

Now two attackers came at once. She jumped into the air, gracefully flipping and landing several yards away. With a snap of her wrist she opened one of her fans, slashing the underarms of the nearest enemy. The girl yelped in pain and dropped her weapon, hands rushing up to nurse the wound. Katara took that moment to lunge her sword through the girl's heart.

The next was apon her, but the queen was ready. Ignoring the sword still stuck in the previous girl, Katara kicked this man's weapon from his hand, then aimed another powerful kick to his groin. The man had stupidly not been protected there, and fell with a hoarse cry. Katara yanked her sword from the now dead woman and gave the whimpering man the same treatment.

Many more attackers fell to her blade, and several tried out numbering her; Katara just wouldn't be beaten. She had a husband and a little boy to return home to. She was the queen of two nations, and she couldn't protect either one of them if she were dead. This thought somehow was enough to give Katara the raging strength she needed to take down enemy after enemy. Soon enough enemies were fleeing from her... but many couldn't escape.

Katara noticed Zuko taking out enemies in the corner of her eye, but was careful not to get distracted. Just because the numbers were dying down didn't mean that the battle was over. There was still a fight to be won.

It didn't take long. Zuko hurried to Katara about twenty minutes later, embracing her tightly. There were no more enemies left out in the battle field. Their own people had only suffered two casualties, to Katara's great relief. It was surprising, considering how they had killed a few thousand enemies, and that their own army had nearly three grand.

Then a thought struck Katara, and struck her hard. She remembered how the enemy had even gotten in here: the army had grown, as they joined as servants and villagers. They had been planning the seige all along. The groups would come in with other servants and new citizens, and they acted like perfectly normal people. It had taken them years to make a big enough army to attack... almost three. In so long a period of time, that must have meant that they would have much more than roughly 1,500 men... so where was the rest of the army?

"Zuko, quick! The palace!" Katara started sprinting toward the palace, shouting to the armies around her to do the same. Zuko caught up to her easily.

"What's wrong?"

"Zuko, it doesn't take three years to assemble an army of 1,500 village workers, especially in the large groups that everybody was comming in. Zuko, our new country is huge! There must be more... and they must be servants in the palace!" Katara felt her eyes burning. The palace could already have been over thrown. Actually, the chances of them finding any signs of safety were slim.

"My God..." Zuko's face was ghostly pale, and he shouted to everyone who could hear him. "Search the palace! Some of the servants may be with this army! Be careful not to harm the innocent ones!" Zuko gripped Katara's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Katara took and deep breath and caught his eye, her own blue orbs shaking with fear.

The fact of danger in the palace was quick to register with the soldiers, and they all rushed into the royal family's home through every entrance, horrible stabs of pain whirling in their guts when they found their Queen's assumptions to be correct: many of the palace servants were enemies.

Katara made fast killings of these enemies, as well. The opposing army had split their numbers up poorly, and the palace army quickly over threw the traitors. It had taken them four hours, which really was quick considering the three thousand other enemies in here. Katara knew perfectly well that some of the villagers must have come in here, because they didn't even have three thousand servants. Not to mention that more than half of the servants were still loyal to their King and Queen.

Katara lay panting against Zuko, the two of them sitting against the lower kitchen's walls. Tears welled in Katara's eyes as she thought about all the people she had had to kill that night. She remembered women from the village who had helped her find dresses for special occations. Remembered merchants who had always offered her free samples and information on the latest things to happen in town. Some of her closest friends had turned out to be head conspirators. Some of the people that she had so deeply trusted had tried to kill her, and her family.

The opposing army had been poorly trained. Many of them were easily distracted, and hadn't known battle techniques. Quite a few had become disoriented when the situation had gone in a way that they hadn't planned for. This was the cause for the few deaths on the loyal side. During the fights in the palace, not a single casualty had been added to the previous two, if you didn't count the non-soldiers. If the loyal servants were counted, then a few hundred had been killed through means of poison and surprise attacks. Some of them had been armed, and had taken down the enemy. All of the traitor servants had been killed.

Once again, something donned on Katara.

"Zuko, where's Kianna?" Katara asked, kissing him with trembling lips. Zuko hadn't suffered any injuries, which made Katara so relieved it almost hurt.

"I'm not sure..." Zuko murmured, kissing his wife back. He was equally grateful for her perfect condition. "Xander!" Zuko summoned the nearest noble. The man was one of Zuko's most trusted, and had been one of the most outraged at the outburst.

"Yes, sir?" He asked, walking up to the exhausted couple.

"Where is my sister, Kianna?" Zuko inquired, rubbing circles on Katara's shaking back.

"Last I saw her, sir, she said she was checking on Prince Radon."

Zuko paled once again. Gulping, he asked, "how long...?"

"A few hours, sir..." Xander swallowed hard, as well. He knew what Zuko was getting at. So did Katara.

"NO!" She screamed, jumping up and running towards the stairs. Zuko was quick to follow, praying to the gods and almost crying. This was just too much...

Tears streamed down the water bender's cheeks as she flew up stairwell after stair well, steadily climbing the height of the palace. Her legs had felt like jello only moments before, but nothing could keep her from this...

Horror and panic were evident between the two of them as they rounded the corridor closest to their suite, seeing enemies still slowly dying on the floor. The couple ignored them, not bothering to finish them off. There was something more important that they had to do...

They didn't even pause upon rushing into the main room of their suite.

Past the sitting room.

Past the dinning room.

Through the bedroom...

And into Radon's.

Katara froze.

She was a statue for a few moments, as the scene before her set in.

The room was a shambles. The crib was over turned, the window shattered, Radon's current sitter laying with Kianna's sword sticking through her on the floor. Kianna lay on the other side of the room, blood drizzling a bit from her mouth and some dried under her nose. She was alive, but unconscious.

Radon.

Radon was the opposite.

Katara screamed. In rage, in pain, in sorrow... in everything. Her world seemed to fall to pieces as she fell to her knees, Zuko quickly wrapping his arms around her and holding her as close and as tight as possible. Tears flowed from his eyes and his shoulders shook heavily as Katara sobbed and screamed and twisted, having gone way past losing control of her body.

"My baby... my little boy... Radon... **_Ra-a-a-d-don!_**" She grasped at her husband, the force of her sobs causing pain in her lungs. She gasped for breath, each one shaking violently with her tears. They just wouldn't stop coming. She sat there for an hour, her tears soaking through Zuko's shirt as his own tears drenched her hair.

The Fire Lord wanted desperately to comfort his wife, to help warm her heart, as he knew that hers must have felt even more cold and shattered than his own. He wanted so much to comfort her, but his own pain was getting in the way. Not a single thought of crying being a weakness turned up in his mind. He held on to his wife and cried with her, mourning for his son.

Mourning for their little boy.

The funeral for the servants and soldiers who had died was held almost a week later. It was an elaborate funeral... a whole new graveyard had been built for them. Each and every gravestone was beautifully decorated, and the entire field was planted with beautiful greenery. Each tombstone was surrounded by the owner's favorite flowers. The ceremony was long, and the cloudy sky seemed to express the new country's greif.

Radon's funeral was held three days after that. He didn't have a favorite flower at the time... he had been too young to have many favorites at all. So instead a new, special garden was planted for the boy, and his gravesite was at the back of it, under the shade of a beautiful sakura tree. A pretty pond was near the grave as well, where the blossoms of many flowers floated in the waters. Each family had placed a blossom in the water, then said a prayer for their lost Prince.

Katara and Zuko were the last ones to do so, for they waited for the other mourners to leave. When it was just her and her husband, Katara released a gorgeous white lily into the water. Drops of her tears dripped from her cheeks and into the water as she murmured her prayer. She closed her eyes and paused for a moment, listening to the tree's rustling branches and the ripple of the water. It was peaceful here, just as she'd wanted. She slowly got up, sniffing slightly. She would've been crying harder, but she had actually been crying so much in the past few days that she didn't have as many tears.

Zuko knelt next to where Katara had been. His eyes fell apon Radon's grave, and sorrow danced in their depths. He looked back at the water and placed in it a perfect scarlet rose. He whispered his prayer, tears streaming down his cheeks after being pushed out when he closed his eyes. Several of his own tears dropped to the water, and Katara watched as small ripples danced out around them. Zuko stood and embraced Katara, the two of them crying silently near their suns grave until the sun began to set.

As the world around them grew darker, servants came out and lit candles on sand in paper bags all around the garden, giving the place an enchanting glow. When the rulers turned and began to walk down the path back home, Katara felt her heart lighten a bit. She stopped Zuko while they were still on the small hill, and pointed to the garden below. Zuko's eyes rose from the ground and he looked, a small smile lightening his face. He wrapped an arm around Katara and they rested their heads together, enjoying the view.

The candle bags had been placed along the stone lined path, illuminating the flowers a bit. A few streams here and there added a special touch to the beautiful sight as the moon's silver shine reflected on the glass like waters and made them seem to glow.

"Radon will be happy here." Katara whispered, knowing that she would be visiting her son every day for a long time.

"Yes, he will." Zuko agreed. He placed a sound and loving kiss on the bender's lips, savoring the peace.

The couple joined hands once again, providing that special comfort for each other as they walked the garden paths back home.

_Good night, sweet Radon. I pray for you peace and happiness, my wonderful little boy._

For some reason, I think putting "END" right there would've shattered it, so it's at the end of the commentary.

srry... I had been planning to do this for so long, I couldn't turn back now. I do realize that the plot changed from light and happy to what is right now making me cry. Great. My own freakin' writing is making me cry. How pathetic is that?

Yeah, I realize a lot of you probably hate me right now, so I'm gonna change the subject.

I knew that there was such thing as a sakura, but I wasn't sure if there was a sakura tree or not. Whether there is or isn't, there is one in my fic, so, yeah. I thought "Sakura Tree" sounded so much better than "Weeping Willow".

The sequel should come out next month. I promise it will be light and happy. This is going to end well, I promise.

A huge thanks to all of my readers. This is the first story I've ever finished. It's true!

An extra special thanks to those of you who have been reading this since the beginning. If it weren't for you guys and your reviews, I probably wouldn't have gotten past the third chapter. For the names that I have in my head right now: (gomen nasaii if I spell them wrong) darkavatar13 (a HUGE TY to you, you were my very first reviewer!) Nilikeye, Hitenesbabe

(yes, I'm a drama queen, and you guys really have been way supportive of me, so I'm making a big deal out of this, because it's a big deal to me.)

Each and every one of you guys who read this story, especially the reviewers, make me feel all warm and happy inside. I probably wouldn'tve ended up finishing the story had you guys not reviewed...wait, I already said that, didn't I? Oh, well...

I promise the next ending will be happy and make you all go "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Thanks Again!

Arigatou!

Muchas Gracias!

Merci!

Gratzi!

... I don't know any more ways to say it, so... Thank You!

--blueflame17528

END


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